


a.s.h.es, ashes (we all fall down)

by starsandroses



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fighting, Gen, Morse Code, Mysteries, Shady Organizations, Superhero Shenanigans, Superpowers, Supervillain AU, Swearing, Violence, but like. kinda., but there is a lot of "doing bad things for a good reason." as a treat, death threats kidnapping and attempted murder oh my!, injuries, more detailed trigger warnings will be in chapter notes!, no one is unsympathetic in this, superhero au, superhero! logan, superhero! virgil, supervillain! patton, supervillain! roman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2020-03-17 15:17:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18967864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandroses/pseuds/starsandroses
Summary: "Nothing in the world is black and white. The heroes can be corrupted and the villains might have never been evil in the first place."Trapped in a web of lies, SuperHeroes Logan Cosmos and Virgil Tempest must unravel the truth behind their organization A.S.H. (Alliance for SuperHumans), all while finding a missing reporter with a talent for causing controversies and two missing partners, tracking down two SuperVillians who saved Logan's life, and figuring out who in A.S.H. wants Logan dead.





	1. Smoke in Your Lungs

**Author's Note:**

> jesus take the wheelie this has been a RIDE  
> Anyway, welcome to my superhero au! I've been wanting to write this for a while and the concept got a positive response on tumblr so here we are  
> I am also publishing this on my tumblr! (stars.and.rose)
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR CHAPTER ONE:  
> Fire, Panic Attack, Injuries, Cursing, Violence, Kidnapping Mention

Pushing open the glass doors, Logan Cosmos scanned the busy café. He adjusted the bag over his shoulder as he walked towards a booth in the far left corner. When he sat, he snapped his fingers in front of the boy seated across from him.

The startled boy jumped, pulling off his headphones, and glared at Logan.

  
"Hey! You didn't have to do that."

  
Logan cocked an eyebrow. "Really? You were wearing your noise-canceling headphones, Virgil."

  
Virgil Tempest shrugged. "They aren't exactly noise-canceling. I mean, for anyone else, I'd bet they would be but for me-"

  
"Your abilities get in the way?" Logan finished in a hushed tone.

  
"Yeah. One of the many woes of being a Super. Anyway, how was your class?"

  
Logan groaned. "To put it simply, my professor is a dumbass."

  
Virgil winced. "Ooof."

  
Then Logan sighed, leaning against the table. "Well, a positive. We do not have a mission tonight."

  
"Thank god."

  
"Negative: We still have a patrol."

  
Virgil groaned. "You win some. You lose some. I'm going to need caffeine for this, I'll go order."

  
Logan glanced at the cash register, where a green-eyed boy was handing an older woman a muffin. "Ah, he's working today."

  
"Yeah. He's annoying, but I'm more comfortable around him. It makes ordering less stressful when I crack a bad movie joke and he fires one right back." Virgil replied, standing from the booth.

  
Logan nodded, watching as his best friend walked away. He was so proud of Virgil, he didn't know how to put it into words. Watching Virgil battle his anxiety- watching Virgil win the battles with his anxiety- made Logan smile. As much as being a Super was difficult and tiresome and vexing, at least joining A.S.H. had given Logan his best friend. Through long nights and battle scars and mental breakdowns, Logan and Virgil managed to keep each other in one piece.

  
As Virgil ordered a dubious amount of caffeine and battled the cashier over some hidden plot in a children's movie, Logan pulled out the tablet A.S.H. provided its Supers, digging it out from under his textbooks and notebooks. A flick of Logan's wrist turned the device on. Another flick opened up a map of their city. Sure, Logan could have done it manually, but sometimes the ease of using his abilities made the irritation of having them dissipate a bit. Logan drew his fingers over the screen, mapping out the area the duo would have to patrol that night.

  
A few minutes later, Virgil sat down, pushing a large drink across the table to Logan. Virgil barely touched the thing, yet it nearly fell off the table.

The grey-eyed boy glared at the cup, and muttered a phrase that was probably "Fuck super strength."

  
Logan let out a hum and took a sip of his drink, which was the same London fog latte he always ordered on patrol days. Virgil chugged his espresso, then looked down at the map. "Where do we gotta patrol?"

  
"Few blocks in Southside. It's a residential area, mostly apartment complexes and a convenience store." Logan replied, zooming in on the map.

  
"Crime rate?"

  
"Pretty low. A mugging a few weeks back, and other crimes of that sort."

  
Virgil let out a sigh of relief. "Easy night. Thank god. I have a gig tomorrow afternoon, and honestly, I don't know if I could go through with it if we had a rough night."

  
Logan arched an eyebrow. "Another wedding?"

  
"Another fucking wedding. I hate weddings, Lo! Overpriced and tons of strangers."

  
"Well, usually wedding guests don't hold much conversation with the photographer. Also, some of the expenses of a wedding go to the photographer. Besides, you only need to continue doing these gigs until we retire from A.S.H."

  
Virgil ran a hand through his messy dark hair; Logan could see the blonde roots Virgil hated so much starting to peek through. "Speaking of A.S.H…." Virgil lowered his voice. "Have you found anything?"

  
Logan leaned across the table a little more, suddenly aware of how busy the café was. Too many people meant too many ears, and too many ears were too big of a risk. "Some files of old SuperHeroes who died in combat or retired, various recordings of meetings, and a few marked-up articles, all written by the same guy. Why are you so invested into looking into A.S.H.'s files, anyway?"

  
Virgil shifted in his seat, his eyes flitting around the room. "Just a hunch, okay? I feel like something's up."

  
The first time Virgil had brought up looking into the organization's files, it had been late at night during a patrol. Logan had tried to convince Virgil there was nothing that A.S.H. would be hiding, but the other Super was invested in the idea. To calm Virgil, Logan had started using his abilities to hack into A.S.H.'s database. At first, it had been simply to placate Virgil, but Logan had been digging for over a month and had only come up with a minuscule amount of information. There was more information, all of it heavily locked, and now Logan's own curiosity and pride were invested in decoding all the files.

  
Logan glanced down at the clock on the tablet. "We should make our way to Headquarters. Our patrol starts in less than an hour.”

  
Virgil huffed, taking another sip of his drink and shifting in his hoodie. "Can we walk? I really don't feel like taking the bus."

  
Sliding out of the booth, Logan nodded. "Some fresh air would be nice. Do we need to stop at your apartment for your medicine?"

  
"I have backups with my suit, I'll take them when we get there if I need to."

  
Leaving the cafe, they walked towards the Headquarters, only stopping once for Virgil to capture a shot of the sunset's light reflecting off a skyscraper.

  
For the second time that day, Logan opened a pair of glass doors, holding them open for Virgil. The lobby of A.S.H.'s headquarters was mostly empty. The only people in the room were the receptionist who was playing a game on his phone and a pair sitting on the bench. Logan recognized them: a set of first-year partners he and Virgil had helped train. Eliza was a flyer and her partner Kris was the human equivalent of a magnet. Eliza was holding an ice pack on Kris's forehead, angrily scolding them. After quickly checking in quickly with the bored receptionist, Logan and Virgil made their way over to the younger SuperHeroes.

  
"Is everything all right?" Logan asked.

  
Kris looked up, their eyes gleaming despite their injury. "You'll never guess what happened! I ran into Knight and Nova!"   
  
A panicked looked passed from Virgil to Logan. Knight and Nova were labeled the most dangerous SuperVillains of their time. The duo had been active for five years, and not a single Super had been able to catch them. A.S.H. sent missions to search for the SuperVillains constantly (Logan and Virgil had been assigned to that particular mission a few times) and yielded no results.

  
The strangest part was, Knight and Nova didn't associate with other SuperVillains, nor did they cause large scale destructions. They were a mystery, striking every few months, stealing from a major corruption or leaving cryptic warnings in the mayor's office, then disappearing again. They were an enigma, an enigma Logan wanted to solve.

  
Virgil did a quick scan of Kris. "Did they hurt you?

  
Eliza sighed, "Not exactly. Kris, tell them how you got hurt."

  
The younger Super pouted, an embarrassed flush covering their cheeks. "Well, we found them on top of the Whynter Building, right? We didn't know what they were doing but they were unprepared so we attacked them!"

  
"I didn't attack them, that was Kris on their own!" Eliza complained. She pointed at her partner. "They thought we could capture the SuperVillains by ourselves."

  
"I surprised them, and the SuperVillains flew down into the alley. Knight used his abilities and I got confused. I thought I was chasing after Nova, but in reality, I crashed into a wall."

  
A beat of silence, then Virgil let out a laugh. "You crashed into a wall?"

  
"They crashed into a fucking wall." Eliza huffed. "Fell for one of Knight's illusions."

  
"To be fair," Kris said, moving Eliza's hand and fixing the ice pack on their forehead. "Other people, older and higher ranked people, have fallen for Knight's illusions too. They're so lifelike it's hard not too."

  
Logan bit his lip. "But neither of them injured you directly?"

  
"Nope!"

  
Eliza twisted a lock of her curly hair around her finger. "Knight actually looked apologetic, watching this loser slam into the wall."

  
Logan glanced at Virgil, who had his nose scrunched up in concentration. Most SuperVillains would have taken the opportunity to take out a first-year SuperHero before they could truly harness their powers. But not only did Nova and Knight let Eliza and Kris go, but they didn't try to hurt them either?

  
That was something to think about later. Virgil and Logan had to get suited up for their patrol.

  
"Take care of Kris, Eliza. Vee and I have a patrol to go on." Logan said.

  
Eliza mock-saluted as the older SuperHeroes walked away. Logan glanced at Virgil, "Elevator?"

  
"Yeah."

  
Luckily no one else was riding the elevator, so they got the tiny shaft to themselves. Logan pressed the button for the fourth floor, and the doors slowly shut behind them. Music Logan swore was older than the building poured out of an old speaker. Virgil glared at the speaker as if he was trying to make it explode. Luckily for the janitors, Virgil lacked that ability, and the doors opened before Virgil could decide to smash it.  
The fourth floor was a little bit more active than the lobby, with a few Supers suiting up for patrols and missions, and a few more packing their bags and heading home. Logan led Virgil to their lockers, placing his palm against his, while Virgil did the same next to him.

  
The touchscreen connected to his locker opened, and Logan grabbed the black material hanging in it. If Logan ever took over A.S.H., the first thing he would do was change the uniforms. First of all, the material was irritating, which made fighting uncomfortable. Logan swore he had more welts from the fabric of his uniform than from actual combat. The suit was built for protection though, not comfort. That aside, each uniform was identical, making it difficult to tell the difference between Supers. Each SuperHero had their unique logo stitched right above their hearts, but could you see that during a battle? No. Not at all.  
As Logan pulled the suit over his clothes, his fingers brushed over his logo. Virgil had designed it for him. It was the letter G, and Virgil had designed it to look like the letter was glitching, to associate with Logan's codename. Virgil's own logo was a spiking heart rate, stitched into his suit with careless caution.

  
"Lo? Can you untangle my earpiece?" Virgil asked, struggling to pull up his suit. Logan sighed and grabbed the communication device hanging from Virgil's locker. Logan had not an inkling of a clue how, but Virgil had managed to get the earpiece twisted with his eyepiece.

  
"Virgil? How- how did you mess this up so horribly?"

  
Virgil sighed, zipping up his uniform. "I just threw it in there on Monday, I don't know how it got so tangled!"

  
Logan groaned, finally pulling the pieces apart and tossing them at Virgil. His friend caught them with ease (damn his powers). Logan pulled on his own, untangled eye and earpieces, snapping his eyepiece on his glasses. Then, he snapped his finger to activate both pieces. Virgil rolled his eyes, manually turning on his equipment. "We online?"

  
"We are indeed."

  
Virgil gave Logan a wicked smile, his teeth flashing in the electric light. "I'll beat you downstairs."

  
Then, Logan blinked, and Virgil was a blur in the corner of his vision. A swear escaped Logan's lips and he closed his eyes, picturing the outside of the headquarters. He felt the familiar fizzling in his gut, and when Logan opened his eyes, he was standing outside with the night breeze blowing in his hair. Seconds later, the glass doors next to him were thrown open, and Virgil skidded to a stop next to him. "Damn the people on the stairs."

  
"We're making excuses now, Vee?"

  
"Damn you too." Virgil flashed Logan a set of double-birds.

  
"If you kept doing that, I'm not going to let you teleport with me to our patrol location."

  
Instantly, Virgil had his arms thrown around Logan's shoulders. "No, no hey, you're my best friend Lo! I love you!" He announced, dragging out the 'o' in love.

  
Logan rolled his eyes, a fond smile forming on his lips. "You only love me when you need something from me."

  
"If that was true, would I have shown up at your house with mint-chocolate chip ice cream when NASA released the black hole image and you freaked out for three hours?"

  
Instead of responding, Logan pictured the convenience store he'd seen on the digital map earlier. Virgil yelped and dug his nails into Logan's shoulder as the two of them teleported.

  
"Hey!" Virgil snapped. "That wasn't cool!"

  
"My apologies."

  
"Hmph. For that, I'm taking the eastern side of this sector."

  
"Why?"

  
Another wicked grin passed over Virgil's features. There are fewer buildings on the Eastern side. Less work for me. Stay out of trouble, Glitch."

  
Logan rolled his eyes. "Same to you, Adrenaline."  
Virgil gave his partner a mock salute, before speeding off into the distance. Logan watched him go, then pressed his fingers against his eyepiece.

A map of the western side of the sector glowed to life in his vision. Logan zoomed in on an apartment complex, memorizing its features, then teleporting there.

  
The patrol was uneventful. For the past three and a half hours, Logan teleported from rooftop to rooftop, searching for any suspicious activity. With only thirty minutes left on patrol, Logan was sitting on the rooftop of a building, mentally going over the notes his physics professor had given that day.

  
Then, he smelt the smoke.

  
Instantly Logan was on his feet, eyes searching the horizon as a scream echoed from a nearby building. Smoke was pouring out of an apartment window, and flashes of red and yellow were visible through the smoke. Logan concentrated on his comm, turning it on. "V- Adrenaline?"

  
"Issue on your end?" His best friends voice crackled through the comm.

  
"Fire. Anderson Street, third building on the left. Requesting back up."

  
"On my way, Glitch."

  
Logan shut off his comm, glancing at the ground below him and teleporting down. He spirited down the street, stopping in front of the building. The flames were starting to grow, and people were running out of the complex in a panic.

  
Logan didn't have the time to explain he was with A.S.H., which was against protocol, but if he did, he would have lost valuable time. Logan entered the building, gagging on the smoke in the air. The first floor was clear but on the second floor, Logan found a younger girl trapped behind a cabinet. Teleporting behind it, Logan knelt next to the girl. Her dark eyes were wide, and she was shaking.

  
"I'm going to assist you, may I lift you up?" The younger girl stared at him for a brief moment, then gave him a brief nod. Logan scooped the child into his arms, and she gripped his arm tightly. "Close your eyes now, all right?"

  
The girl obeyed, and Logan teleported them outside. The girl opened her eyes, staring at him with wonder. "You have magic?" She whispered in awe.

  
"No, it's a gene-. Nevermind. I do indeed have magic."

  
The girl's eyes widened with glee, but before she could reply, a man ran up to them. "Alina, darling!”

  
The girl looked at the man and smiled brightly. "Daddy! The magic man saved me!"

  
The man gave Logan a small smile. "Yes, he did. Now the magic man has to go save other people, okay?"

  
The girl nodded, and Logan handed her off to her father. The man muttered a quick, "Thank you," into Logan's ear before he walked away with his daughter.

  
Logan teleported back into the building when his comm was activated again. "G, there are a few more people on the fourth floor; there was someone on the third but I got them out. " Virgil announced.

  
"On it." Logan dashed through the building, making his way up the stairs until he reached the fourth floor, which was where the fire started. The heat was biting and ash started to stick to his clothes. Logan hesitated, looked around for which room held the most flames.

  
That was his mistake.

  
A cracking sound filled his ears, and before Logan could turn around to see what it was, something hit him in the back. Logan fell to the ground, his body held down by something heavy. He squirmed, trying to get free from whatever was holding him down, but he couldn't. He tried to teleport, but his mind was too frazzled from the hit and the heat to form the image Logan needed to teleport. Using the last of his concentration, Logan activated his comm, connecting with the A.S.H. Headquarters.

  
"This is Agent Glitch." He wheezed out. "I'm requesting back-up. There's a fire... I'm trapped in the building and my partner cannot get everyone out on his own."

  
Radio silence. Then a faint, "Cut him. He was getting too close to the truth." Static filled his ears, and Logan tried to reconnect to the comm, but the other end had severed the link.

Understanding filled Logan's muddled brain. A.S.H. was leaving him to die.

  
Logan struggled against the weight on his back, but he was getting sluggish. The flames were closing in, the heat starting to overwhelm him. A hoarse scream roared from Logan's throat, but he doubted he could be heard over the roaring fire.  
This was it. Logan was going to die.

  
He laid his head against the burning ground, gasping for air. He was going to die. He was going to die. Who would grieve him? His poor mother, who'd been abandoned by everyone else in her life? Virgil, who had just started getting to a place in life where his anxiety was livable? His friends from college? The other superheroes from A.S.H.?  
The flames were closing in. Logan closed his eyes, accepting his fate. Before the flames could reach him, he heard a crackle of energy, and a soft, "Don't worry, I got you."

  
Then, the heat become too much, and Logan passed out.

  
-. --- - .... .. -. --. ... .- ... .. - ... . . -- ... -. --- - .... .. -. --. ... .- ... .. - ... . . -- ... -. --- - .... .. -. --. ... .- ... .. - ... . . -- ...

  
Beautiful blue eyes, the color of the sky at its absolute clearest, glowed slightly behind gray-tinted goggles, filled with something that looked like concern. Then, surprise bloomed, and Logan's eyes closed again.

  
-. --- - .... .. -. --. ... .- ... .. - ... . . -- ... -. --- - .... .. -. --. ... .- ... .. - ... . . -- ... -. --- - .... .. -. --. ... .- ... .. - ... . . -- ...

 

"Logan? Oh my god, oh my god please wake up, I can feel your heartbeat but you need to wake up, come on Lo." The voice was shaking, holding back tears. Logan opened his eyes, looking up at Virgil's gray eyes. His dark makeup was smeared and tears were streaming down his face. "Oh my god, you're okay."

  
"What happened?" Logan choked out, his lungs feeling heavy and his head fuzzy. He remembered the fire, his comm getting cut off (oh, oh hell, they had left him to die) and the beautiful eyes.

  
"I don’t- I don't know." Virgil was talking fast, his chest rising and falling even faster. Suddenly, Logan was so much more worried for his friend then he was for himself. He grabbed Virgil's arms, attempting to ground his best friend.

  
"Name five things you can see," He instructed, voice still hoarse.

  
"You.My hands, the wall, I think- I think that's a rat, and dirt."

"Good, four things you can hear?"

  
Virgil closed his eyes, a shaking breath coming out of his mouth. "My heartbeat, your voice, cars, that rat moving."

  
"You're doing so well, Vee. Three things you can feel?"

  
"Your hands, the breeze, and this god damn suit."  
"Two things you can smell?"

  
Virgil's breathing was starting to slow. "You smell like a campfire. And we're really sweaty and it stinks."

  
"Fantastic, one thing you can taste?"

  
"Salt- I was crying, wasn't I?"

  
Logan ignored the question. "Are you all right?"  
"Am I all right? Holy shit Lo, I'm worried about you, not me! You were missing for three days."  
All the air exited Logan's lungs. "What? What are you talking about?"

  
"The fire. A.S.H. told me you died! But I went back into the apartment and looked for your body. It wasn't there, and I don't trust A.S.H. so I've been looking for you since. But, Lo, where were you?"

  
Logan closed his eyes and thought about it. His mind was hazy, but one image stuck out: blue eyes behind gray goggles. Familiar gray goggles.

  
"Give me the tablet," Logan demanded. Virgil tilted his head in confusion but slipped the device to his partner. Logan's fingers flew over the screen, the tablet working faster than his fingers. Soon, he had an image on the screen, and when Virgil looked over his shoulder, a gasp escaped from his mouth.

  
"That's Nova." Virgil breathed. It was indeed the SuperVillian. The Super was standing with blasts energy surrounding him, and bright, blue, glowing eyes shone behind gray goggles.

  
"That's a correct observation." Logan took a deep breath. "And as impossible as it sounds, I believe he was the one who saved me from the fire."

  
Virgil, to Logan's surprise, didn't shout in denial. Indeed, he took in a deep breath of his own and replied, "Well, it kinda makes sense, since Knight brought you to me."

  
Logan looked over at his partner, a bit shocked. Virgil raised a hand and started to tug on a loose piece of hair. As he was about to scold his partner for the bad habit, Logan noticed a smudge of glittery red on Virgil's glove. "Is that lipstick?"

  
Virgil glanced at his gloved hand, and his ears flamed. "No. Its blood."

  
"It is glittery.”

  
"Vampire blood."

  
Logan decided to move on. "You said Knight brought me to you?"

  
"Yeah. I came into this alley to take a breath, and he appeared from the shadows. I almost punched him the moment I saw him, but I saw you in his arms, out cold. I might have jumped to conclusions, but he told me he wasn't the one who'd hurt you. He told me to make sure you took care of yourself and to make sure all the smoke was out your lungs. As soon as I took you from him, he was gone."

  
"And he kissed your hand?"

  
"Ignoring you." Virgil leaned back against the brick wall, rubbing at his eyes and making an even bigger mess out of his eyeshadow. "What's going on here? SuperVillains aiding SuperHeroes?

  
"Would it be a bad time to mention that A.S.H. cut my comm while I was in the fire?"

  
Virgil whipped his head around to stare at him. "Explain."

  
After giving Virgil the synopsis of what had occurred in the burning apartment, his partner took in a shaky breath. "This isn't happening. It's just a dream."

  
"I'm afraid we are awake Virgil."

  
As Virgil was processing the information, Logan looked through the notifications on his tablet. One caught his eye- a news report from two days ago, labeled "SuperVillains Nova and Knight Spotted Aiding Victims of a Fire."

  
Intrigued, Logan clicked on the link. He was brought to the local newspaper's website, but instead of an article, there was a notice from the newspaper. The notice claimed that the article had been taken down. Logan glared at the screen but noticed another article at the bottom of the page, this one reading "Local Reporter Reported Missing."

  
Another click led Logan to a full article, discussing the disappearance of Remy Morpheus, a reporter for the same newspaper. The article revealed that Remy was the writer of the deleted article on the SuperVillains, and had written many articles on controversial topics. The name was familiar to Logan, and it soon hit him: the articles he'd found in A.S.H.'s secure files were also written by Remy Morpheus.

  
Logan nudged Virgil, who looked like he was on the brink of losing his mind. "Read this."

  
The darker hair boy took the tablet, reading the article, his nose scrunching up as he read. "A missing reporter?"

  
"A reporter who reported on a supposed rescue attempt by Nova and Knight. A reporter who wrote controversial articles, some criticizing A.S.H. A reporter whose articles I found covered in notes when I was hacking into A.S.H.'s files."

  
"You're saying you think there's something going on?"

  
Logan nodded. "I hate to speculate, but there is a mass of evidence that points to foul play."

  
Virgil's fingers made their way back to his hair, his eyes slightly unfocused. His lips were moving, but Logan didn't have Virgil's enhanced hearing to be able to discern the words. Before Logan could comment, Virgil shook his head quickly, snapping himself out of his thoughts. "So, we've got a missing reporter who might know things he shouldn't, two SuperVillians who might not be pure evil, and a fucking massive organization who might be hiding something and seems to want you dead."

  
Logan leaned against the wall next to Virgil. "It seems we have a mystery on our hands."

  
"Please do not Sherlock our situation."

  
"Ignoring you."

  
"And hey, don't you mock me." Virgil huffed, laying the tablet in his lap and crossing his arms. "You know, things were going well."

  
"We never did have an abundance of luck," Logan mused.

  
"And I know you aren't going to let this go."  
"I wasn't planning on it."

  
"And no way in hell would I let you do this on your own."

  
Logan glanced at his friend. "That means you'll assist me?"

  
"Mmhm. But first we're going home,  
you're changing, and we're both going to sleep."

  
Logan looked down, and it hit him that he was still wearing his charred A.S.H. uniform. Virgil was too, but his uniform was in better shape.

  
"Reasonable. Then, I think we're going to visit The Times's office."

  
Virgil raised his eyebrow again. "We're starting with the reporter?"

  
"Indeed. In the morning, we start the investigation on the disappearance of Remy Morpheus."

  
Virgil stood, slipping the tablet away. He offered his hand, and Logan took it, getting to his feet.  
  
The two SuperHeroes stumbled out of the alley, heading home under a starless sky.


	2. Shot in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan and Virgil began their investigation into the disappearance of Remy Morpheus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: Cursing, discussions of kidnapping and referenced character death

“I can’t believe I’m wearing this.”

  
Logan glances at his partner, who was glaring at everything around him, as if he could blame the sidewalk for his outfit.

  
“Virgil, it’s for professionalism. If we want to get information on Remy Morpheus, we need to look reputable.”

Professionalism can suck it.”

  
Logan rolled his eyes and adjusted his tie. Just because Virgil disliked wearing anything other than hoodies didn't mean Logan did too. Logan preferred formal clothing. So, while Virgil was cursing the sun for having to wear a tie, Logan was quite content.

  
"Virgil, if we want to get the necessary information needed to find Remy Morpheus, we need to look reputational.  Besides, you're still wearing your make-up."

  
"And there's no way in hell you're getting me to take it off."

  
Logan contemplated hitting Virgil on the head but decided against it. The little shit would probably catch Logan's hand before it could even make contact. Instead, Logan navigated around two women with a stroller and continued to make his way through the crowd.

  
"How close are we to the office anyway?" Virgil asked, stepping aside to avoid the stroller.

  
Logan wished he had his eyepiece on so he could give Virgil an accurate answer. But the equipment, unlike Logan, hadn't survived the fire. A.S.H. was going to be annoyed.

  
That was, of course, if they weren't annoyed by the fact Logan was still alive.

  
He didn't think the ordeal had truly settled yet. He still couldn't believe that someone had cut his comm and left him to die. Someone in A.S.H. must have learned Logan was getting into their files. Because of Logan's hacking, they wanted him dead. That had to mean they were hiding something important. Logan was still alive, unfortunately for them, and now he was going to figure out what the organization was hiding.

  
As long as he didn't die trying.

  
"Hey L? Logannnnnn.  Is that the building?"

  
Logan snapped out of his thoughts, glancing to where Virgil was pointing. His partner had spotted a skyscraper, the needle on the top of the building reaching into the sky.  Black lettering embezzled the side of the building, and Logan had to squint to read the words: AZOTHA TIMES.

  
"Yes, that's our destination," Logan replied, walking a bit faster. Virgil, a few steps behind him began to obsess over his violet tie, attempting to straighten it. "Virgil, please stop trying to fix your tie. Neither of us is capable of doing anything straight, so I do not see why are you trying."

  
Virgil stopped short, his eyes wide. "Logan, did you just make a gay joke?

  
"You'll never be able to prove it."

  
Virgil scrambled to catch up to him, narrowly dodging a boy arguing with someone over the phone. "Logan Cosmos, you are a shit."

  
"Don't be worried, I'm not coming for your brand." Logan glanced back at his partner. "Was that the correct usage?"

  
Virgil snorted. "Yeah, it was. You didn't even have to use your flashcards."

  
"I've been studying."

  
'"The sad thing is that I don't even know if you're kidding."

  
Logan was about to retort when he realized that they had reached the office. "We're here."

  
Virgil gave the building a once over. "It's not impressive."

  
"It's the newspaper's office. What were you expecting? The Empire State Building?"

  
"Leave me alone."

  
Logan snorted, then opened the door, pushing it open so Virgil could enter before the door shut. The lobby was practically abandoned, with only a bright-eyed receptionist waiting patiently at her post. Logan walked up to her, fishing around in his pocket for his ID.

  
The girl smiled brightly at him and Virgil. "Hi! Welcome to the Azotha Times! What can I help you with?"

  
Logan pulled out his ID and placed it down on the desk. "We're with A.S.H., here to investigate the disappearance of Remy Morpheus."

  
The girl's smile wavered. "Oh. I can see whom you can talk to? I'm new here, just started last week. I don't know anything about Mr. Morpheus, other than the fact he vanished,  but I can see if one of the senior reporters can talk to you. Would that be okay?"

  
"That would indeed be satisfactory. Thank you for your assistance." Logan replied. He glanced at Virgil, who was fiddling with his tie again.

"Everything all right, Vee?"

  
"Mmhmm. I'm fine. Just remembering how much I hate talking to strangers. Especially older strangers."

  
"Don't worry. I will do most of the talking so you'll feel more comfortable."

  
Virgil flashed him a quick smile. "Thanks. You're the best."

  
Logan turned his attention back to the receptionist, who had a black phone held to her ear. "You're busy? All right, sorry for interrupting you."

  
The girl put down the phone and flashed Logan an apologetic smile. "It might take me a few minutes to find someone that's able to talk to you. If you'd like, you can go sit and I'll call you over when I find someone."

  
Logan gave her a curt nod, picking up his ID and following Virgil to the few chairs situated across the room. His partner practically threw himself on the leather chair, grumbling about the various newspapers covering the nearby coffee table.

"Virgil, please tell me you weren't planning on sitting on the table."

  
"I won't say anything then."

  
"I am going to throw you out the window."

  
Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Like you'd be able to catch me."

  
Logan glared at the ceiling, wishing it would crush him. He scanned the newspapers, looking for anything relating to their missing journalist. One paper had a headline reading "Congressman Marriot's Hidden Agenda?" with Remy Morpheus as it's reporter. It was a few years old, and if Logan thought about it, he could remember the scandals that led the congressman to resign. Was it possible that this article had started the investigation that blew the scandal open? Logan shifted in his chair, nudging Virgil. The black haired boy glanced down at the newspaper Logan had been looking at.

  
"So our missing reporter has a thing for writing about controversial topics?"  Virgil scrunched up his nose.

  
"It's definitely worth noting." Logan agreed.

  
"Excuse me, sirs?" Both Logan and Virgil glanced back to the receptionist's desk. Her black phone was out of sight, and she was twisting her necklace around her fingers. "I have someone willing to talk with you two. Her office is on the third floor, room 89."

  
Logan rose from his chair and gestured for Virgil to get up too. His partner grumbled, but stood and smoothed his shirt. "Thank you again, Miss."

  
When the duo was a few steps away from the elevator, the girl called out, "Wait!" Logan looked back at her. She clutched her necklace a bit tighter and added. "I apologize in advance for any offense Ms. Navil might cause."

  
With that ominous comment, the girl turned back to her paperwork. Virgil glanced at Logan. "Look's like we're in for a treat."

  
Logan pressed the button for the elevator, shrugging his shoulders. "I believe it's best for us to get this over with."

  
After riding the elevator up and listening to Virgil praise the heavens for the lack of elevator music, Logan scanned the hallway. "Is that the room the receptionist said to go to?"

  
Virgil glanced to where Logan was pointing. "That's it. Room 89."

  
Logan took the few steps between the elevator and the room, knocking on the door. A quick, "Come on," echoed from behind the door.  
Logan took in a deep breath and opened the door. The first thing he saw was the short, middle-aged woman sitting at the featureless desk in the center of the room. Other than her height, there was nothing distinguishable about her. Dark blonde curls, narrow hazel eyes, and a black blazer- she would be easily lost in a crowd. The woman stood, giving them a quick once over as she walked towards them. "I assume you're the young men with A.S.H."

  
"We are indeed." Logan offered his hand, and she shook it. "My name is Logan Cosmos, and this is my partner Virgil Tempest."

  
The woman looked at Virgil, specifically at his eyes. "You're wearing make-up.

  
"Yes, I am," Virgil did not offer his hand for a handshake.

  
An awkward silence filled the room, with both reporter and SuperHero giving each other subtle glares. Logan was quick to break the tension. "What's your name, ma'am?"

  
"Cynthia Navil. Have a seat."

  
As Cynthia went to sit behind her desk, Logan and Virgil sat at the two chairs across from her. Virgil moved to put his feet on her desk, but Logan slapped him in the knee, stopping him.  
"The receptionist said you were here to investigate the disappearance of Remy?"

  
Logan nodded, watching at Virgil pulled out his phone and opened the notes app. "We are indeed. Did you know Mr. Morpheus?"

  
Cynthia snorted. "Everyone in this building knows Remy Morpheus."

  
"What was your opinion of Remy?"

  
The reporter leaned in closer like she was about to spill the world's greatest secret. "Remy was a complete and utter prick."

  
Logan glanced at Virgil, who was looking up from the notes he was taking with an eyebrow raised. "Would you mind elaborating?"

  
Cynthia sat back and folded her hands together. "If you asked management, they'd never stop singing his praises. That's because Remy's articles brought in money. Everyone will pay for a paper when the headline screams about a community leader and a crime. In reality, Remy was simply nosey and had no respect for any higher authority. He sought out scandals and drama. Especially drama and scandals surrounding your organization and Supers in general. Honestly, it's surprising how he's gone so long without being kidnapped."

  
Logan tilted his head. "We never said anything about him being kidnapped. Do you realize how incriminating that sounds, Ms. Navil?"

  
The reporter rolled her eyes. "Please. Remy's made himself a list of enemies that's miles long. Someone must have finally decided to stop putting up with his crap."

  
"Are you one of those enemies?"

  
"My God, I didn't kidnap Remy. I wouldn't waste a second of my day or an ounce of my energy on him. I thought you were here to investigate, not to harass an innocent worker."

  
Virgil looked at Logan, the simple glance showcasing how done Virgil was with this woman. "We aren't harassing you. Logan's simply asking you questions based on what you said to him."

  
Cythina huffed. "Fine. What else do you have to ask me?"

  
Logan drummed his fingers against his leg. "You said Mr. Morpheus had a long list of enemies. If you yourself aren't one, then would you mind mentioning a few?"

  
"Every single politician in this city, and the leaders of most corporations."

  
Virgil stared at the woman as if she'd grown a second head. "That was incredibly useful, thank you so much."

  
Cythina wrinkled her nose. "You know, I think I'm done with this interview! I've been harassed and you're extremely rude!"

  
A knock resonated through the room. Cythina groaned and yelled, "Come in!"

  
A dark-skinned man entered the room, his brow creased. "Is everything all right in here? I heard you yelling as I was leaving for my break."

  
The reporter crossed her arms. "Nothing is all right! These two men have been disrespecting me!"

  
"You needed to have respect for someone in the first place to disrespect them," Virgil muttered. "Therefore, I've done nothing wrong."

  
Cythina didn't hear Virgil's words, but the man at the door did. He snorted, before returning his attention to Cythina. "How did they disrespect you?"

  
"They've been harassing me! They even excused me of kidnapping Remy, how dare they?"

  
Suddenly, the man's back stiffened. His eyes snapped to Logan and Virgil. "You're here because of Remy?"

  
Logan nodded, standing from his chair. "Yes, we are. We've investigating his disappearance for A.S.H."

  
"I'm surprised Mina didn't just send you to me! If she'd told me that's why she needed to see if I was busy, I would have dropped everything!" The man noticed Logan's moderately confused expression and smacked himself in the forehead. "Right, right. You don't know me. I'm Jay Chevalier. Remy's been my best friend since diapers. I'll willing to do anything to find him."

  
Logan looked over at Cythina. "I agree with your early statement. We're done with your interview."  
The woman huffed, "They're your problem now, Jay."

  
Jay flashed her a half-smile. "I don't believe I'll be having a problem with them. Gentlemen, would you mind following me?"

  
Virgil stood from his chair, walking over to Jay. "Anything to get me out of here. Ready Lo?"

  
"I am." Logan followed Jay out the door, and shut it behind him, leaving the reporter in her office.  
"I was going to go to a nearby cafe for my lunch. Would you mind coming with me so we can talk?"

  
"Wouldn't it be more efficient to complete the interview here? Then we wouldn't intrude on your break?" Logan asked.

  
"You wouldn't be intruding. I don't mind company, especially company that might be able to find Remy. Besides," Jay dropped his voice to a whisper. "You're surrounded by journalists. Being nosey is part of the job description. There are some things that aren't meant for the public ear."

  
"I see your point." Logan agreed, looking over at Virgil. His partner was bitting his lip, studying their new interviewee. Logan trusted Virgil's instincts, and if Virgil thought there was something sketchy about Jay, Logan would have got them out of there fast.

  
Virgil caught Logan's attention, and mouthed, "Nothing against him."

  
Logan gave a quick nod and looked back to Jay. "Led the way, Mr. Chevailer."

  
The reporter nodded, leading them back down to the elevator. Virgil's fingers twisted around his tie. "Too crowded?" Logan asked.

  
Virgil shook his head. "It's only three people, and the elevators here are bigger than the ones at HQ. I'll be okay."

  
"Are you positive?”

  
"Yeah, mom, I'm positive. Let's go before our informant gets sick of us and we're stuck with the bitch queen of reporting."

  
Logan rolled his eyes at the childish nickname and stepped onto the elevator behind Jay. When they reached the ground floor, Jay called out to the receptionist, "Mina, I'm taking these gentlemen with me, all right?"

  
The girl looked up and made a face. "Mrs. Navil almost scared them away?"

  
"I wouldn't say she scared us away. I'd say she's too full of herself and too unreasonable to help us with our case." Logan responded.

  
"Sounds like the normal." The younger girl mumbled.

  
"And Mina? Next time, I'll drop anything when it comes to Remy, okay?" Jay said.

  
After the receptionist gave her agreement, Jay pushed open the office's doors, holding them open for Logan and Virgil. As soon as Virgil stepped outside, a cat-like hiss escaped his mouth.

  
Jay turned to him, confusion written on his face. "Are you all right?"

  
"He despises the cold," Logan explained.  
Virgil nodded in agreement. "Now I really want my hoodie."

  
To his credit, Jay took Logan and Virgil's strangeness in stride. "Well, the cafe is only a block away, so you won't have to be cold for much longer."

  
The streets were less crowded than when Virgil and Logan were outside earlier, so they were able to avoid losing Jay. The journalist walked through the small crowd with a smile for anyone he made eye contact with. He seemed to have no problem with the cold, January winds. Unlike Virgil, who had his arms wrapped around himself as he glared at the sky.

  
Coincidentally, (or maybe not. Logan had never believed in coincidences) Jay brought them to the cafe Logan had met Virgil at before everything had gone horribly wrong. Not that Logan was complaining. The cafe was warm and had decent coffee. As the smell of coffee filled his nose, Logan found himself craving one of the overly-caffeinated drinks that were usually reserved for his partner.

  
Jay held open the doors for Logan and Virgil. Logan's eyes jumped to the booth he and Virgil usually claimed, finding it empty. A few short strides and then Logan was sitting in the booth. Virgil slid in next to him, leaving the seat across from them open for Jay. The reporter sat down, waving at the counter to signal a waiter.

  
"So, Mr. Chevailer, you said you've been friends with Remy since diapers? Would you mind elaborating on that?" Logan asked as Virgil reopened the notepad on his phone.

  
Jay leaned back, cracking his knuckles before he spoke. "Our parents were friends. Our fathers when to high school together, I think. We grew up together and caused general havoc. We stuck together through our entire school career. I think I was the only reason he attended class someday. Remy always thought he needed to protect me, especially when I came out and starting transitioning Sophomore Year. Even though his idea of protection was biting remarks and throwing empty Starbucks bottles at people. Even though I told him I could protect myself."

  
"During Junior Year, I met Emika Aurum, through Remy. Remy was crushing on a friend of Emika's, named Emile, and dragged me along to hang out with them. I fell for Emika fast, and we started dating." Jay let out a soft laugh. "We're married now."

  
Jay then shook his head with another laugh. "You aren't here for my life story, sorry. I've been told I have a tendency to ramble. A few months after Meeks and I started dating, so did Remy and Emile.  Then senior year, this new kid came into our school. Declan Brokker. Wouldn't let anyone call him that, though. He went by D.C. Somehow, he made his way into our group, and a few months later, Remy told me he had a crush on D.C. Emile separately told Emika the same thing.  I remember the panic between Emika and me, both of us afraid of our friends breaking each other's hearts."

  
"Instead of heartbreak, the three of them talked it out, and the next day, they were all dating. In hindsight, that was definitely the logical solution, but panic overrides logic."

  
Soft coughing interrupted Jay's story. A vaguely familiar waiter was standing at their table. "Good Afternoon, Jay. Guess you'll be having the usual?”

  
Jay smiled at the waiter. "Of course. Why change it up?"

  
The waiter rolled his green eyes. "Imagine changing things up." He spun, turning his attention to Logan and Virgil. The green eyes visibly brightened when they landed on Virgil. "Oh, Jay! You found my favorite emo!"

  
Virgil smacked himself in the forehead. "I can't escape you, can I?"

  
"I work here."

  
Instead of responding to that particular statement, Virgil said, "I'd like-“

  
"-a large white chocolate mocha with an extra caffeine shot?" The waiter grinned.

  
"How do-"

  
"-I know? You're just as bad as Jay, ordering the same damn thing every single time you come here."

  
"No more finishing my sentences. That's creepy. Lo, what do you want?”

  
Logan ordered a green tea, deciding against the caffeine,  and watched as the waiter walked back to the counter. "Virgil, what's his name?"

  
"Who, the waiter? I don't know. I can't read his nametag."

  
Jay drummed his fingers on the table. "Where was I?"

  
Logan brought his attention back to their interviewee. "I believe you were discussing how Remy got together with his boyfriends?"

  
"Ah, right. So, Remy, Emile, and D.C. got together senior year. We all graduated. Remy and I went to the same college, both studying journalism. Emika went north to study criminal science, and D.C. went to some business school. But Emile figured out he was a Super right before graduation. He was a telepath. He joined the same A.S.H. branch as you two are in, and studied psychology. Things were good for a while. Then- I  think it was our junior year in college- Remy got a called to the office in the middle of class. I remember him looking over his shoulder at me flashing me a grin and slipping down his sunglasses as he waltzed out."

  
"He never came back to that class. As soon as the professor dismissed, I ran to the office. The receptionist told me Remy had returned to our dorm. They told me that they didn't feel right telling me what had happened, that it was for Remy to tell. I thanked them and spirited to our dorm.  I found Remy, sitting on the floor, eyes blank and makeup running. I sat down next to him with tissues and hugged him until he was able to speak.

  
Jay swallowed hard, wiping at his eyes. "He told me that A.S.H. had called to inform him that Emile had passed away in a battle with a SuperVillian. As soon as he told me, I hugged him tighter and didn't let him go. He'd been my defender forever, it was my time to support him."

  
The waiter came back to the table, slipping them their orders without a word, sensing the somber mood. Logan tired to read his nametag, but could only make out the first letter. A K, or maybe an R?

  
Jay left his food abanded, but Virgil began to bite down on the straw of his drink. Logan held his drink between his hands, letting the hot cup warm him.

  
"The next few months were a blur, I remember the funeral, where two officers from A.S.H.  gave Remy and D.C. a recording they said was the last message Emile had sent. After that message, something in Remy snapped. The month before the funeral, Remy lived in a haze. I had to force him to eat, to sleep- I had to force him to keep living. But after listening to that recording, Remy's anguish turned straight into anger. He told me over and over again that there was something wrong with the recording. I never got to hear it, but Remy insisted that it sounded nothing like Emile. He told me, 'That was his voice, not his words.' D.C. agreed with him.”

  
"After the funeral, Remy worked his ass off, and we got our degrees. Both interned at the Azortha Times, both got hired fulltime there. That's when I noticed Remy's writing changing.  Throughout high school and college, Remy wrote editorials filled with sarcasm and wit. Progressively, those editorials turned into reports about scandals and crime. Remy threw himself into any dangerous situation to get a truth. Especially situations regarding Supers.  His articles were always true and always damaging. Honestly, I thought the article he'd written on  Knight and Nova was one of his tamer articles, but then  he never came to work, never came to his apartment."

  
Jay's shoulder's slumped and a shaky breath escaped his mouth. "He's just gone."

  
Logan made eye contact with Virgil. His partner's eyes were dark, just like the storm clouds they'd stolen their color from. "We're going to find him, sir."

  
It was just a statement, barely a promise, but Jay took a deep breath and flashed Virgil a grateful smile. "Thank you."

  
"You've been very cooperative, which will help us find him faster," Logan stated. "But I have a few theories that I'd like to hear you're opinion on. First, do you believe he was kidnapped?"

  
"Sadly, I do. As Ms. Navil likely informed you, Remy isn't the most liked person in this city. I believe there's a high possibility someone wanted to keep Remy quiet."

  
"You mentioned that Remy and Emile had a third partner. D.C., was it? What is his current relationship with Remy?"

  
Jay took a sip of the drink he'd ordered. "They're still dating. I haven't personally seen him in a few years- I think Remy told me he was working in Miami?- but I know they have dates every other week."

  
Logan traced the top of his cup. "Do you believe D.C. could have kidnapped Remy?"

  
"I don't think so. I don't think he would have had a reason to."

  
Virgil clicked his phone off, finishing his notes."So, it's likely to assume that some corporation was involved? Or someone else with power."

  
Jay was silent for a beat, then buried his head in his hands. "This is happening, isn't it? It's really happening. Remy got kidnapped. He really got kidnapped."

  
Logan was afraid that the man was about to have a breakdown, which Logan was completely unequipped to deal with. Instead, Hay took a deep breath. "That seems like what happened. Remy's ruined quite a few lives by revealing their secrets."

  
"Could you list a few of people Remy's pissed off?" Virgil asked, reopening his notes.

  
Jay listed off multiple politicians, three CEOs, two actors, and a famous SuperHero. Logan looked at Virgil, who shut off his phone for good this time. The list was long and full of powerful people. It wasn't going to be an easy case.

  
Logan stood, nudging Virgil with his foot. When his partner stood, Logan reached across the table to offer his hand for Jay to shake.  "Your help is extremely appreciated. As Virgil stated, we will find Mr. Morpheus. "

  
Jay didn't offer his hand; instead, he rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a pen and paper. "I'm giving you my address. If you get any news about Remy-"

  
Logan nodded. "We'll inform you of any updates."

  
Jay quickly finished writing and slipped Logan the paper, then shook Logan and Virgil's hands.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

  
"I think it would be good for us to leave now. There's not much else you can help with, and I would hate to cause you any more distress."  
Jay nodded. "I don't want to hinder you nay more. Just... thank you."

  
Virgil gave the reporter a quick smile before slipping out of the booth. As Logan followed him, he set a ten dollar bill on the table to pay for their mostly untouched and cold drinks. When he looked up, he noticed his partner glancing to the cash register,  and caught Virgil's eyes rest on their waiter for briefest of seconds.

  
When the Supers exited the cafe and reentered the cold, neither said a word. Then, Virgil broke the silence.

  
"Well, Lo, this isn't going to be an easy one."

  
Logan had to laugh, causing his partner to look at him with confusion. "Neither of us have been handed easy lives. We're never going to have it easy. Yet, I do believe we've gotten ourselves into quite a mess here. Remember, there's more to this had just Mr. Morpheus."

  
"I'm trying to forget that someone tried to kill you." Virgil tried to adjust his disheveled blazer to warm himself.

  
"Doctor Who and hot chocolate?"

  
"You'll make your mother's recipe?"

  
"Of course. I believe a respite is in order. We deserve a break."  
.. - .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. -... . - .... . .-. . .-.. .- ... - -... .-. . .- -.- -... . ..-. --- .-. . - .... . .. .-. .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. -... ..- .-. -. . -..


	3. Tip of Your Tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan has a run in with Nova and has an odd conversation with the SuperVillain, and Virgil spills a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warnings: the usual Cursing, mild violence, description of heavier violence, blood, injuries 
> 
> also, I’m on tumblr, @stars_and_rose! If you like my writing, I post one shots and other fics there. Or you can check out my friend’s artwork of this story and my random vague posts!

Logan should have taken the vacation.  
That was the single thought running through his head as he ducked behind a dumpster, listening to the sound of a small explosion and Virgil cursing in his earpiece.  
When Logan had first entered the building after everyone thought he'd died, there had been chaos. Fellow SuperHeroes rushed to greet him, happy that another Super had returned alive. No one had seemed annoyed at his return. No one seemed upset that the assassination attempt had failed.  
(Well, the Head of Equipment had been annoyed, but Logan suspected her aggravation had come from his damaged equipment. She had been glad to see him until he'd pulled out his charred suit and melted headgear. Then she hadn't been so pleasant.)  
After the reunions, one of the higher-ups in their department of A.S.H. named Thomas had pulled him aside. The Super had fussed over Logan's state for a few minutes, asking him if he needed to see a doctor or if he was injured. After Logan assured Thomas that he was alright, he had offered Logan a vacation.  
"You deserve a break, after that ordeal." Thomas had said. "Take a week off and take care of yourself. We can't protect the city if we can't protect ourselves."  
Logan had denied the request. He told Thomas there was no point in him staying off the metaphorical field. He was not in pain, and his powers were working.  
(In reality, Logan needed to be within the A.S.H. headquarters to continue his investigations. The organization had the information he needed to start researching on Nova and Knight. The authorization of being in A.S.H. gave him the ability to continue searching for Remy Morpheus.)  
(And being in the headquarters allowed him to find who'd been behind the death order. Keep your friends close and enemies closer after all.)  
Thomas had tried to convince him to take the break, but Logan had been stubborn. The older man had accepted his defeat but had forbidden Logan from going on difficult missions.  
That had lasted a single week.  
To be fair, fighting a SuperVillian wasn't their assignment.  Their assignment was another patrol through a residential area close to the area where the fire had burned down the apartment complex. It had started like any other patrol, teleporting from building to building to look for any crime. No criminals seemed to be out tonight, so he met back up with Virgil. They began to look over the information they'd gathered on Remy's case.  
Then the woman had shown up.  
Another explosion rocked the ground, and Logan jumped out from behind the dumpster. There she was, floating above the ground, her white cape flickering around her. When she first walked up to them, Logan had thought she was a teenage cosplayer in want of an autograph. Then, she'd opened her mouth and began a tirade about avenging her father.  It wasn't the first time a SuperVillain's child had appeared out of nowhere and decide to fight the heroes who'd put their parent behind bars. Logan hadn't had enough time to figure out which SuperVillian had been the girl's parent because as soon as she'd finished her speech, she'd thrown her first flash bomb.  
Virgil's voice crackled into his ear. "I called Headquarters, and they're sending back-up."  
"Do you think that was a wise decision?"  
"Glitch, I promise you I didn't forget about the murder attempt. I don't think it's possible for me to forget about it. It's been on my mind too much for me to even try. But, whoever wants you gone, I don't think they're willing to risk civilian lives to do it."  
Logan ducked back behind the dumpster, almost getting caught by the young SuperVillian. "They were willing to risk the people left in the fire."  
"This is bigger." Virgil's voice was starting to gain an annoyed edge.  
Logan sighed. "I trust you."  
"I know, I know. Any ideas on how to get this lady down?"  
Logan sighed. "She is quite annoying. Though, if you can get her on solid ground, I would be able to teleport behind her and grab her."  
"Fantastic. Just one itsy bitsy issue. How the fuck am I supposed to get her on the ground?"  
"Try and knock her down."  
"How?"  
"Improvise."  
Virgil began to curse through his earpiece again, followed by the SuperVillian's voice echoing through the street. "There you! Now I can avenge- is that a bike?"  
"What the hell are you doing with a bicycle?" Logan hissed,  
Virgil replied, "Improvising."  
Logan peeked out from behind the dumpster just in time to watch Virgil throw a Hello Kitty themed bicycle at the floating SuperVillian. She was apparently to shocked to throw one of her flash bombs. The SuperVillian stared at the bike until it hit her in the face.  
The impact knocked her out of the sky. Logan closed his eyes and teleported into the street, catching her before she could hit the ground. The  SupervIllian had her eyes closed, but she was still breathing. Virgil walked over, glancing at the fallen bike as he passed it.  
"I cannot believe you threw a child's bike at a SuperVillain," Logan grumbled. Virgil huffed as he pulled a pair of cuffs from his uniform pocket.  
"It was either the bike or this flower box I found in the alleyway."  
Logan rolled his eyes, setting the unconscious SuperVillain on the ground, and watching as Virgil cuffed her. "Why not the flowerbox?"  
"There were still some flowers growing it in. Chrysanthemums and Red Dahlias, I think. I remember them from that botany class you made me take with you."  
"So you decided to spare the flowers."  
"Yes? Do you have an issue with me appreciating nature?"  
"You constantly yell 'fuck you' at the sun, which is also a piece of nature."  
Before Virgil could defend himself, a car drove up. A figure wearing the black A.S.H. uniform stepped out of the passenger seat. Logan couldn't tell who it was (he really did need to start a petition for different uniforms). They walked over, looking at the cuffed SuperVillain laying in the street. "You got her?"  
"She's unconscious," Logan stated.  
"My partner and I can take her back to Headquarters so you can finish your patrol and damage report."  
The Super picked up the girl and took her back to the car. Logan turned around, scanning the streets. It seemed that the flash bombs hadn't done any damage, nor had been civilians been injured in the battle. Anyone out on the streets had made a run for it as soon as the first flash bomb detonated. There only seemed to be one damaged item.  
"You get the honor of writing the damage report and explaining about the bicycle," Logan told Virgil.  
His partner glared over at the slightly crumpled bike. "You told me to improvise. I get harassed for improvising. Homophobia."  
"It cannot be homophobia if we are both homosexuals, Virgil," Logan mumbled. This was a conversation they'd had before; an argument Logan had never won.  
"Fine, whatever, I'll write the stupid damage report. Can you teleport around to make sure we didn't miss anything earlier?" Virgil asked, looking away from the damaged vehicle.  
"That will be satisfactory. Are we going to meet at headquarters, or my apartment later?"  
"I think we should just meet at your place. Doing this report is going to take longer than a double check patrol. I don't want yo to have to wait around for me."  
"It won't be a bother," Logan said.  
"I know. Besides, if you get there first, you can get dinner ready. "  
Logan rolled his eyes. "Of course. All you want are the gyoza my mother brought when she last visited."  
"It's not my fault your mom's food is better than anything I can make, " Virgil defended.  
"That is probably due to the fact her grandmother taught her traditional recipes, and you throw store-bought things in your microwave and call it a meal."  
"This is bullying," Virgil announced, walked over to the bicycle. Logan rolled his eyes again before teleporting onto the roof of a nearby building. He looked down at the street below him- he didn't have Virgil's enhanced sight, so his fellow SuperHero looked doll-sized as he dealt with the minor damage. Giving his partner one last glance over, Logan teleported onto the next building.  
Logan continued jumping from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the dark streets below him for any suspicious movement. All he saw was a man stumbling into an apartment complex and a young kid leaning out a bedroom window. Oh, and the occasional tiny dark shape running through the alleys. This section of the city seemed to have a bigger rat problem that Logan originally thought.  
Logan had jumped onto the last building in his assigned section when he noticed the figure. They were sitting on the edge of the rooftop, kicking their feet a bit childishly. However, they seemed to be about Logan's age. The SuperHero took a step closer, and a small gasp escaped his throat. He took off his eyepiece and rubbed it against his suit. But when he put it back on, he still saw the SuperVillian sitting there.  
Nova looked at peace with relaxed shoulders and eyes focused on something in the distance. Logan should have taken the opportunity. He should have sneaked up on the SuperVillian and captured him like he'd been taught. Logan should have taken the handcuffs out of his pocket, slipped them on the SuperVillian's gloved wrists and dragged him back to the headquarters. Logan would have been rewarded handsomely. He and Virgil might have been allowed to retire from A.S.H. early. They could have been able to retreat to a small town in the middle of nowhere, where Virgil could have photographed the mountains and Logan could have access to the entire night sky.  
Instead, he shut down his equipment and took a few steps closer.  
This was madness. This was illogical. It was the exact opposite of what he should do.  
But Nova had saved his life. Nova had pulled him from the flames that A.S.H. had condemned him to. If it wasn't for the SuperVillian, Logan would be dead. What kind of thanks would throwing him behind bars be?  
Logan took a deep breath and cleared his throat. The SuperVillian whipped his head around, his shoulders tensing. They met eyes and Logan could practically see the panic coursing through the Super's eyes. Then, Nova noticed the emblem on Logan's uniform, the glitching G, and relaxed a bit. "Oh, it's you! I'm glad to see you back on your feet."  
"I have you to thank for that. You did pull me from the fire, correct?"  
Nova nodded. "Yup! Knight and I saw the fire. I thought I saw people still in there, and I was right! I was able to get a mother and her kids out, and then I found you. I was scared you weren't going to make it, but it looks like you've recovered!"  
"Indeed. You have my gratitude for saving my life." Logan replied, adjusting his inactive eyepiece.  
The conservation should have ended there. Logan should have walked away and forgotten the whole experience. Instead, the SuperVillian patted the spot next to him, and the sparks of curiosity in Logan's chest grew. "You look really tired, you can sit down if you'd like. I'm not going to attack you or anything, I promise!"  
"You trust me this easily? What if I came closer to you just to arrest you?"  
The blue-clad supervillain shrugged. "You would have done it already, while you had the element of surprise on your side."  
Logan blinked. "You are correct."  
Then, he sat down next to Nova, breathing in the faint smell of sugar cookies. The SuperVillian was quiet for a few seconds as he looked back over the Azotha skyline. Logan looked out too, trying to see what the other was looking for. There was nothing unusual in the skyscrapers and complexes and narrow streets.  
"It's beautiful," Nova whispered.  
Logan turned to the SuperVillian, watching as the city lights reflected against his goggles. "The city?"  
"Mhmm! It's why I come up here, even though it's a risk. The city looks so pretty at night, with all the lights on it. It reminds me that things can still be beautiful. There's still all the lights when things are dark." Nova let out a little laugh. "Oh my, I sound like Knight, waxing poetic and all that."  
"The stars are more breathtaking," Logan replied before he could stop himself.  
Nova craned his neck up to look at the sky. Dark clouds and air pollution covered the atmosphere, only allowing a few stars to shine through. "You can't see that many."  
"If you drive out until you can no longer see the lights of the city, you can see the stars properly."  
"I'll have to take your word for it," Nova replied, swinging his legs. The SuperVillian seemed to be bursting with energy, which made sense based on his abilities. "What songs do the planets sing?"  
Logan blinked, "Excuse me?"  
"What songs do the planets sing?" Nova repeated.  
"I am confused, the planets are astral objects and they do not have vocal cords-"  
"Nep-tunes!" Nova exclaimed with a small giggle.  
"What? Nep- oh, like that planet. That was a dad joke, wasn't it?"  
Instead of agreeing, Nova gave Logan a grin. "At what time are meals served in space?"  
"Astronauts eat just like people on Earth do, albeit with completely different foods-"  
"Launch time!"  
"God save me." Logan groaned, causing the SuperVillain to giggle harder. "Was this your devious plan? Lure me out so I would thank you, then make me lose my mind through your awful puns?"  
Logan's reaction only encouraged the SuperVillain's laughter. "You are quite the unusual SuperVillain."  
That cut off Nova's laughter. "Hmm?"  
"You're much nicer than what I would have suspected from someone who has been deemed the most dangerous SuperVillain in Azotha. You haven't made a move to injury me and you keep telling horrible jokes." Logan noticed that the blue eyes hidden behind Nova's eyes seemed downcast. "I apologize. I have been told I am too blunt. I meant no offense."  
"No, no." Nova slipped his goggles into his hair and wiped his eyes before adjusting them back over his face. "You didn't hurt my feelings! That was just really nice to hear."  
Logan stared at the man beside him, a thousand questions burning in his mind. Only one spilled out of his mouth. "Why did you become a SuperVillain?"  
Nova let out a laugh, but it wasn't as soft as his earlier ones. "You weren't kidding when you said you were blunt."  
"My apologies. However, I am curious. You don't seem to be the type of just wreck havoc for fun. Are you avenging someone? Was becoming a Villain the only choice you had?"  
Nova was quiet for a few seconds. "Sometimes choices are made for you, and all you can do is sit and watch as your world burns."  
Logan looked away from the SuperVillain for a few moments to process the words. When he looked back, Nova was gone, leaving a growing pit of curiosity in his wake.  
.. --  .- .-.. .. ...- .  .. --  .- .-.. .. ...- .  .. --  .- .-.. .. ...- .  ..  .- --  .- .-.. .. ...- .  
Logan hummed as he moved around his apartment's small kitchen. Beatles music filled the air. It felt right to play the same music his mother did when she cooked. Logan could remember sitting at the kitchen table, doing his homework, while his mother sang  Let it Be and made dinner.  
After Nova disappeared, Logan returned to the A.S.H. headquarters. He'd slipped out of his sweaty uniform and replaced it with a soft sweatshirt with NASA's logo decorating the front. Deciding against walking home, Logan had simply closed his eyes and teleported to his apartment to make dinner and wait for Virgil.  
As dinner heated up in the microwave, Logan glanced down at the notebook laying on his counter. Unlike his class notes, this notebook lacked his usual stick notes and color codes. It was plain and unassuming, a perfect cover for the information inside.  
Glancing at the microwave timer, Logan sat down on one of the stools surrounding the counter. He flipped open the notebook, studying the notes he and Virgil gathered on Remy Morpheus. Finding an empty page, Logan wrote 'Nova' in large letters at the top. As Paul McCartney's voice filled the background, Logan wrote about his experience with the SuperVillain. He noted Nova's strangely kind behavior and quoted the final thing he'd said to Logan.  
The SuperHero focused on those words now. 'Sometimes choices are made for you and all you can do is watch while your world burns.'  
What could that mean?  
Before Logan could truly ponder the words, there was a heavy knocking on Logan's front door.  
"In a moment!" Logan called, slamming the notebook shut and shoving it into a drawer. He slipped off the stool and walked over to the door, opening it slowly.  
Virgil stood in the doorway, one hand clutching his nose and the other wrapped around his waist. A large bruise painted his cheek black and blue and another bruise replaced where Virgil's shadow would have been. A bleeding cut marred his left temple.  
Logan stared at him for a few seconds, frozen in shock. "You have super strength."  
Virgil removed the hand from his nose, revealing a bloody nose. "Super Strength does jack shit when you get jumped."  
Logan's concern doubled. He grabbed Virgil, dragging him into his apartment, ignoring the blood dripping onto his carpet. "Sit down." He ordered, leading Virgil to the couch. "Lean forward slightly and pinch your nose. That should reduce your bleeding."  
Virgil did as he was told, wincing. His grip tightened around his waist, and Logan bit his lip. "I need to remove your jacket. Your ribs might be broken."  
Panic coursed through Virgil's brain, and a few swears escaped his mouth as he struggled to remove his hoodie. The patchwork jacket finally slipped to the floor, and Logan bent down next to it. He lifted Virgil's shirt, wincing at the patches of red covering Virgil's usually pale skin. Logan pressed a hand to the bruises, and Virgil gasped in pain. "What the fuck?"  
"Did you hear a crackling sound when you received this injury?" Logan asked, ignoring Virgil's question.  
"I- no, I don't think so."  
"And you're breathing without intense levels of pain, correct?"  
"I mean, it hurts like a bitch but I can still breathe."  
"That means you only have bruised ribs," Logan said with a sigh of relief.  
"Only?" Virgil echoed. "That doesn't sound like an only, Lo."  
"It means only the muscles around your ribs around are injured, instead of you having a broken rib. If your rib was broken, you would be in danger of having the bone puncture your lungs. Therefore, I'd say you are lucky you only have bruised ribs."  
"Already, okay, forget I asked." Virgil removed his hand from his nose. No blood dripped out.  
"Go wash your hands, clean your cut, and bring me the first aid kit," Logan ordered. Virgil rose to his feet with wobbly legs. He reached out to use Logan's shoulder to stabilize himself, before making his way over to the bathroom.  
Logan entered the kitchen, searching his freezer for an ice pack. After realizing he still hadn't bought one, he settled for a bag of frozen broccoli.  Grabbing the bowls of gyoza from the microwave, Logan sat down on the couch. Virgil came back from the bathroom with clean hands and the first aid kit.  
Logan took the kit and grabbed an alcohol wipe. Virgil tensed when he saw the wipe in Logan's hands. "I already cleaned the cut."  
"This is to make sure the wound does not get infected. If you sit still and allow me to wipe the cut, it will not sting much."  
Virgil huffed but allowed Logan to clean his cut with only a hiss. After throwing the wipe behind him, Logan stuck a bandaid over the cut.  
"That better not be a Star Wars bandaid, Logan. I don't wanna walk around with R2-D2 on my forehead.  
Logan handed Virgil the bag of frozen vegetables without answering. "Place that over your black eye. It will reduce the bruising."  
Virgil glared at the bag. "Broccoli is gross."  
"You have never eaten broccoli. Besides, I heated my mother's gyoza."  
Instantly the bag was over Virgil's eye. "Gimme the food, bitch."  
"Not if you are going to be rude."  
"Pretty please give me the food, Lo?"  
Logan handed Virgil the bowl. The room was silent for a few minutes as the SuperHeroes ate. Well, ate was a relative term. It was more like devouring.  
When the last dumpling disappeared from Logan's bowl, he set his bowl down on the coffee table. "Are you going to explain to me why you arrived at my apartment all bloody and bruised?"  
Virgil set down his bowl next to Logan's and adjusted his makeshift icepack. "I got jumped."  
Logan stared. "Yes, you said that. Details?"  
"I was on my way here, after checking it and dropping off the damage report. I felt off, but I thought it was just me being anxious and paranoid. Turns out, I was not. This big burly guy snuck up behind me and grabbed me. I thought he was just a common mugger, and since some people are still assholes to Supers, I didn't use my powers."  
"He was not a common mugger?" Logan guessed.  
"Nope. Must have watched me come out of headquarters. After grabbing me, he announced he was a member of that one gang."  
"The Sabers?"  
Virgil nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. Somone in A.S.H. must have apprehended one of their members because this guy was pissed. He threw me to ground and kicked me three times- twice in the face and once in the chest. He demanded I tell him where 'Roshski' was. When I informed him I had no clue who he was talking about, he tried to kick me again. I moved out of the way but cut myself on a bottle. Then, since the guy had already attacked me, I got up and punched him as hard as I possibly could. I don't know if it knocked him out or not since I booked it as soon as possible. I knew I was hurt and I knew you'd know what to do, so I got myself here."  
Logan was quiet for a few counts. "Virgil, I am sorry."  
"There was nothing you could have done other than patch me up."  
"I could have waited for you at the Headquarters. The chances of getting jumped when one is not alone are significantly lower."  
"The guy was really angry, Lo. We both could have been hurt, and you know I would have blamed myself for not being able to protect you. I already failed at that once." Virgil finished their argument with a voice Logan knew all too well. There was no winning when Virgil used that tone. "So did you see anything when you were finishing patrol?"  
"Actually, I did. I saw Nova."  
Virgil raised an eyebrow. "The SuperVillain Nova? The one who we think saved your life?"  
"Oh, he saved my life. He seems very nice, and he makes dad jokes."  
"You talked to him?"  
"Indeed."  
"Huh."  
Logan narrowed his eyes. "You're much more relaxed about this than I thought you'd be. I talked with a SuperVillain. A SuperVillain who's known to be the most dangerous SuperVillain in our area. Now that I think about it, you weren't as panicked as I thought you'd be when I told you I thought Nova saved my life. And no matter how much you deny it, I am aware that Knight kissed your hand."  
Virgil looked away, the eye's downcast. "I was wondering you'd figure it out."  
"Figure what out? Virgil, cut with the cryptic shit and explain what you mean."  
"Do you remember last spring, when you had finals week and I did patrols alone so you could study?" Virgil asked, still not meeting Logan's eyes.  
"I do. What happened?"  
"I had a showdown with a SuperVillian. They were a minor Villain, I think they were telekinetic. I was taking them down- they managed to get a single blow on me but that was all- but then, they suddenly went white and ran away. I looked over my shoulder and standing in the alleyway was Knight."  
"He stepped out of the shadows and asked me if I was alright. I backed away from him, waiting for him to jump at me or mess with my mind. He didn't; he looked hurt when I stepped away actually. He told me wasn't trying to hurt me. I laughed in his face, telling him that he was a SuperVillain and hurting was in his job description."  
"He looked really angry when I said that. He replied by saying, 'like I had a choice' before looking away. I was really confused and let my guard down for a few seconds to ask him what he meant. He looked over his shoulder and said, 'A.S.H. isn't all it's cracked up to be.' Then, he disappeared right before my eyes."  
"Then you asked me to hack to A.S.H." Logan realized.  
"Knight's words dug into my head. I thought he was lying, but I kept thinking about what Knight said, and I needed to know. You started hacking and finding strange things in A.S.H.'s files and I knew he wasn't lying to me. I kept finding him after that, on patrols. At first, he just talked to me and I ignored him. Then, he started talking about Disney and we got into a debate about it. I remembered thinking, as he started defending Disney Princes, that there really was something wrong here."  
"I must agree. My conversation with Nova tonight made me also believe that there was something odd with this situation."  
Virgil finally met eyes with Logan. "You're not mad that I didn't tell you the truth behind me wanting to look into the files?"  
"I will admit, I wish you had told me the truth, but I see why you didn't. I would have told you that Knight was just attempting to make you suspicious of A.S.H. for his own gain. But now that we've seen the files and the evidence, I believe that your minor deception worked in or favor."  
Virgil hummed in agreement, curling into the coach and adjusting the bag over his eye.  
"But I'm not sure how that explains the lipstick stain on your glove."  
Virgil's reply was throwing a pillow at Logan's face. "I told you that was vampire blood!"  
"That is much more concerning than lipstick."  
"Shut up!"  Virgil hissed.  
Logan let out a short laugh. "Only you would manage to get yourself into a mess like that."  
"It's not what you're thinking. He's gotten me out of a few situations, and sure, he's nice and funny, but they're still the possibility that he's trying to get my guard down so he can kill me."  
Logan rolled his eyes. "I was wondering when the conspiracy theories were going to pop in. But in reality, my experience with Nova felt to genuine to be faked. And have you felt anything alarm bells go off around Knight?"  
"No, not really."  
"And if there's anything I trust in this world, it is you and your instincts, Virgil."  
"But they're SuperVillains, aren't they? They're on the opposite side of the line."  
"I am starting to believe that the lines are beginning to blur, Virgil."


	4. Dreaming in the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Local SuperHeroes Still Cannot Make Good Life Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Discussions of Kidnapping, Injuries, General Panic, Death mention, Mentions of past assault, all my swearing

Virgil grumbled, opening his eyes. Why was it so cold? He had turned on the heat before he’d laid done for a nap. Logan couldn’t have adjusted the temperature because he was in class, and no one else had the key to his apartment.

He sat up, relieved that breathing didn’t hurt anymore. Logan forced him to go to the hospital the morning after he’d been jumped, and the doctors confirmed Logan’s hypothesis. Virgil’s ribs were only bruised. Still, he’d been put on bed rest for a few weeks, meaning Logan had to do solo patrols and Virgil spent his days sleeping and rewatching conspiracy theories.

Virgil rubbed his eyes, his vision still blurry from sleep. Then, he rubbed his eyes again, because he couldn’t be seeing what he was seeing. When his vision cleared, Virgil wasn’t seeing his apartment. Virgil couldn’t see anything expect pale gray smoke.

Virgil stood up carefully, stepping into the smoke. He felt adrenaline began to course through his veins, and with it, he felt his powers waking up. Since Virgil had been laying around for the past few days, he hadn’t needed to use his abilities. Thinking about it, he hadn’t used his powers since the assault. The familiar jolt of energy cleared his head, and Virgil tightened his hand into a fist, prepared for a fight. He wasn’t get jumped again.

“Hello?” He called into the smoke. He wasn’t really expecting an answer, but the sound of a snap cut through the smoke. Then, the smoke began to swirl around Virgil. The Super spun on his heels, attempting to find who was manipulating the smoke. “Who’s there!”

Suddenly, the smoke began to glow, becoming too bright for Virgil to handle. He squeezed his eyes shut. A familiar, weightless sensation filled his body- it felt like when he was teleporting with Logan. But they couldn’t be it- Logan needed to have physical contact with anything he wanted to teleport with him, so-

Before he could finish his thought, he felt something solid beneath him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in a plush chair, still surrounded by smoke, and with a stranger sitting across from him. The stranger grinned at him. “Took you a while.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Virgil asked, standing up and tightening his fists.

“Geez, you’re a jumpy one, aren’t you?”

“Well, I was assaulted only weeks ago, so excuse me for being careful.” Virgil snapped.

“Oh, hun, me too!” Virgil squinted at the stranger. A small wound marred the stranger’s neck, so small that Virgil wouldn't have been able to see if his eyes weren’t enhanced. A deep cut under his eye looked infected, the skin around it pink and the wound itself turning yellow. The stranger’s cheeks looked hollow, and under his shirt, Virgil could almost see ribs. Cracked sunglasses rested against his nose. “You’re weren’t kidnapped, though, so I think I get the win here.”

“You were kidnapped?”

“I just told you that. Being kidnapped sucks! They won’t get me Starbucks! I’ve asked very nicely and even offered to pay, but they won’t get me any caffeine.”

There were multiple things Virgil wanted to question about that statement he but managed to focus on what seemed like the most important part. Logan would be proud of him. “You were kidnapped. So that means I was kidnapped if I’m here with you.”

As soon as the statement left Virgil’s mouth, his panic caught up with him. His mind hissed at him to run, but what could he do? He was just surrounded by smoke with no way out.

“Oh, no, babe. Your body is safe wherever you fell asleep. I just stole your consciousness for a few minutes. You’re fine.”

Virgil’s panic subsided a bit, quickly being replaced with curiosity as he sat down. “My consciousness?”

“Mhmm.”

Honestly, Virgil should have had a hard time believing that. But he could lift cars. His best friend could work electronics without touching them. The boy he met in the middle of the night could manipulate people’s reality. So stealing consciousnesses? That was Virgil’s ordinary.

“You’re a Dream Walker.”

The stranger bit his lip. “Close, but no. Astral Projection.”

“Aren’t they the same thing?”

“If they were the same thing, I won’t have corrected you, babe.”

Virgil wondered if he could throttle the stranger. It wouldn’t cause any damage since they were in some sort of dream state, but it might be a good form of stress relief. On the flip side, if he knocked the man out, he might not be able to leave. The idea of being trapped, surrounded by smoke with no way out, made Virgil’s chest hurt with panic.

Virgil decided that since he didn’t have Logan, it was time to make his own rational choices. (Right. That always worked well. It wasn’t like the last time Virgil attempted rational thought had left him with an odd friendship with a SuperVillian and more paranoia than the human brain should be able to handle.)  
No more of those thoughts. He had to be proactive;. Virgil bit his lip, thinking. Did his branch A.S.H. have an astral projectionist in their ranks? He couldn’t recall one. So that meant...

“You aren’t registered as a Super, and you got caught.” Virgil decided.

The stranger shrugged. “I’m not registered, but actually, I’m pretty sure my friends here don’t know I’m a Super.”

An eyebrow shot up. “Then why would you get kidnapped? Unless, of course, you just have shitty luck.”

“I’d stay shitty luck is an understatement. I’ve been flirting with danger for a bit too long, it seems. Danger couldn’t handle the fact I’m taken and swept me away like the princess I am.”

“Right.”

The stranger pouted. “You’re no fun. Loosen up, Hunny.” Virgil simply stared at him, hoping that his annoyance could be transferred through a single glare. It appeared to work, as the other let out a dramatic sigh. “My kidnapping was probably because I know a little too much.”

“About what?”

“The Alliance for SuperHeroes. The organization you work for if your early statements mean anything.” The man across from him flashed him a lazy grin. “Your little organization isn’t as good as you think it is.”

The stranger waited for Virgil to give some sort of dramatic, shocked reaction. Instead, the dark-haired Super rolled his eyes. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Huh. Makes my life easier then, not having to explain to you. Sadly cuts back on the dramatic revelation. A pity, truly.”

“Can you get to the point?”

“No one lets me have any fun.” The man pouted. “I’m a reporter with a vendetta, babe. Half of my self-control is in Miami and the other is supposedly six feet under.”

“Supposedly?”

“Mhmm. I lost one of the loves of my life to your organization, but something about his death seemed sketchy. So I started investigating. And I found something. Something big.” Virgil waited for the stranger to continue, while the stranger started back at him. Dead silence reigned over the dream space for a few long moments. “This is where you ask me what that big something is.”

“What did you discover?” Virgil asked through gritted teeth. This man was really testing his limited patience. The idea of throttling the other was becoming very appealing again.

The stranger leaned across the table like they were in a crowded room and the other was trying to slip Virgil a secret. “A.S.H. is faking deaths. Claiming people are dead when they aren’t. At least, I have evidence pointing to it. I managed to find a massive lead, and I published a part of it. I didn’t think it was big enough to get me in trouble, but I must have been closer than I thought.”

A thousand thoughts clashed together in Virgil’s. A reporter with a vendetta. Who had gotten kidnapped. Who was close to a secret of A.S.H.’s. Who published an article on Supers and got hurt for it.  
“You’re Remy Morpheus.”

The stranger- Remy- across the table flashed him a bright smile. “Find me, Virgil Tempest. I’m counting on you.”

Before Virgil could truly comprehend what the other had said, Remy snapped his fingers. The room went supernova.  
And Virgil woke up.

He shot upwards, breath stuck in his throat. His heartbeat was crashing and the world was still hazy, gray smoke haunting the corners of his vision.  
That had been real, hadn’t it? The reporter he and Logan were searching for had reached out to Virgil. Remy had found incriminating evidence against A.S.H. and was paying for it.

But of course, the paranoia that practically ruled Virgil’s life whispered, “What if it’s a scam? What if it’s a fake to trick you?”

Virgil grabbed a loose notebook from his counter and a pen. His hand flew over the page, sketching the face before he could forget it. There was one person who knew Remy Morpheus much more than Virgil could, and they should be able to recognize him from a sketch.

If Jay Chevalier could confirm that this was Remy, well, Virgil would have some saving to do.

\- .... . ... ..- .--. . .-. .-.. --- --- -.- . -.. .- - .... .. ... -... --- -.-- ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. ... .... .- .--. .--. .. .-.. -.-- .- ... - .... . - ...- .--. .-.. .- -.-- . -.. .. -. - .... . -... .- -.-. -.- --. .-. --- ..- -. -.. .. - .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. -... . - .... . .-. . .-.. .- ... - -... .-. . .- -.- -... . ..-. --- .-. . - .... . .. .-. .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. -... ..- .-. -. . -..

Logan was having a great day. Keyword there: was.

He didn’t have his astrophysics class today,so he didn’t have to deal with his moronic professor. He instead, had his poetry class, which he thoroughly enjoyed. But just as he’d gotten into an intense debate over the meaning behind “ _Hope” is the thing with feathers_ , he’d gotten a call. A call from A.S.H.

And now Logan was marching through the streets, on his way to a meeting with Thomas. He had texted Virgil but still hadn’t gotten a text back. Virgil was probably napping. He really was a fucking cat, huh?

Logan pulled his jacket closer, focusing on the sound of his boots against the pavement. The other people walking along the sidewalk gave him a wide berth. Logan couldn’t blame them. He was radiating enough annoyance that even the densest person would have noticed something was off with him.

By the time the glass doors of the A.S.H. headquarters came into view, Logan had burnt off most of his aggravation. Some of it still bubbled in his chest, but Logan believed he could get through the meeting with Thomas without snapping.

He pushed open the doors and walked over to the receptionist's desk. Before he could, someone called across the room, “Glitch?”

Logan’s head snapped around, meeting a pair of pale green eyes. Logan knew this Super. Or, at least, he knew of him. Viper wasn’t keen on making friends. No one seemed to even know his real name. “That would be me.”

“I’m here to take you up to Songbird,” it took Logan a few seconds to remember the other was talking about Thomas. He hadn’t heard anyone use Thomas’s agent name in years.

“Of course.” Logan followed the other into the elevator and watched the other press the button for floor six. The doors shut, and the small compart was silent, except for the music Virgil hated. Huh. He almost missed hearing Virgil complain about it.

Almost.

Soon, the doors opened. “You know what room?”

Logan nodded, and stepped out of the elevator, leaving Viper behind. The second door on the left had a miniature rainbow flag hanging next to it. Logan pushed over the door. Thomas looked up from his laptop and smiled at him. “Logan! It’s good to see you! Please sit!”

Logan pushed off his messenger bag and sank into the plush chair across from the other Super. Thomas’s eyes fixated on the bag. “Wait, did you have class? Oh my, I wouldn’t haven’t called you in if I knew you had a class.”

“It’s fine. I’m already here.”

“I’ll make sure to triple check your schedule next time. Or, maybe I’ll just have Joan check it for me.”

“That might be for the best.”

Thomas pushed aside his laptop and leaned against his hands.”How has Virgil been?”

“He’s recovering well. The doctors think he will be back on his feet by next week. Though, I doubt you called me here to discuss pleasantries. Why not get to the point?”

Thomas’s shoulders sagged. “Well, um, I’ve been told that you and Virgil have been investigating the disappearance of that reporter. What was his name? Um?” Thomas pushed around some of the papers on his desk until he found a pink sticky note. “Remy Morpheus!”

Something cold formed in Logan’s gut and swears bounced around his head. They had been caught.

It was time to see how good he was at bluffing.

“Yes, we are. There’s a problem with that?”

“You weren’t assigned to do that, you know.”

“Indeed. I was intrigued, and wanted to solve the case.”

Thomas tilted his head, looking like a confused puppy. “No one in administration knew that.”

“Excuse me? No one got the forms?”

“You filled out the forms?”

“Indeed. I swore we sent them out. Between the fire and the attack of Virgil, I’ve been a little scrambled.”

Logan hated the guilty look on Thomas’s face. He hated taking advantage of the other’s kindness; he hated lying in general. But he had to do what he had to do. He didn’t even know if he could trust Thomas. For all that Logan knew, it was the man in front of him that had ordered his death.

“Oh, okay then! I know the past month has been hard for you and Virge. I’ll recheck my emails and see if you did send it.”

“And I will resend the form if necessary. Is that all you needed?”

Thomas was about to open his mouth when the door behind him opened. Joan, Thomas’s SuperHero partner and the only reason the office didn’t look like it has been run through by a hurricane, peaked their head through the door. “Hey, the lady from the police is here.”

Logan stood up. “I see you are busy. I’ll be on my way-”

“-oh, no, Logan, this is actually for you! I asked for the detective who’s working on the case to stop by to give you the case notes from her investigation.”

“Oh. That was very kind of you. You have my thanks.”

Thomas grinned. “You can send her in, thanks, Joan!”

The super gave a mock salute, before turning away from the door. Logan sat back down, and the door opened and a girl around Logan’s age stepped through.

The confused puppy look returned to Thomas’s face. “You aren’t Detective Chevalier.”

The girl flushed. “Oh, ah, no I’m not. I’m her intern.”

Thomas sighed, leaning back slightly in his chair. “She still won’t come here?”

“She didn’t seem happy about even sending me here. She told me, and I quote, that if anything seemed sketchy that I was to leave immediately and she would handle everything else.” the intern noticed the look forming on Logan’s face, and quickly added. “Oh, that makes her sound awful. I promise she’s good. A great woman, a fair boss-”

“-Emika is a good woman. I understand why she doesn’t want to come here. Too many bad memories.”

“Detective Chevalier worked here?” Logan asked.

Thomas shook his head. “Her best friend came through first. Died in battle in his fourth year. Then, a year later, her little brother joined A.S.H. He met the same fate, but only in his first year. They were both good people and talented Supers. They didn’t deserve to die, nor does Emika deserve to beat herself up for the situation.”

The room went quiet. Every time Logan turned around it seemed that there was another black stain on A.S.H.’s record. He had almost become one of those black stains.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Logan wondered if the black was even stains, or the true colors of the organization finally being revealed.

“Give Detective Chevalier my condolences,” Logan said, knowing that the words would never cover the grief, but what else was he supposed to say?

“I will.” The intern slid over a thick manilla folder and shifted awkwardly where she stood. “I should probably be going. Detective Chevalier is going to be worried about me, so-”

“-yes, of course.” Thomas agreed, giving the girl a soft smile. “Tell Emika that if she ever does want to talk- and I know I offer this every time, and I know she never accepts, but still- tell her I’m here.”

“I will.” The intern stood there for a few seconds, before turning around and leaving the office. Just before she vanished from sight, Logan saw the tension fall from her shoulders.

A soft sigh escaped Thomas’s mouth. “I’m sorry you had to hear about that. I shouldn’t be hashing out my old drama in front of you.”

“It’s quite alright, sir.”

“I feel like we’ve talked about how I don’t want to be called sir?”

“It’s a likely possibility.”

Thomas let out another sigh, this one warmer than before. “Do you want to look over those files now, or-?”

“-I should go over them with Virgil. Besides, I am a bit concerned about him. I haven’t received any texts about how much being bed rested sucks today.”

“Maybe that means he’s feeling better?”  
“Oh, no. For as long as the doctors have forced him to rest, I will be hearing about how horrible it is.”

A laugh came from the other Super’s mouth. “I gotcha. Go make sure he’s okay.”

“I will. Have a good day, Thomas.”  
“See you later!”

Logan left Thomas at his desk, glaring down at the disaster of paperwork he had to do. The elevator was luckily just letting someone else out of it, and Logan slipped in after them. As the elevator came down to the ground floor, Logan shoved the case file into his bag. Hopefully, there was something they didn’t know about Remy in the files, or this would have all been for nothing.

After waving goodbye to one of the Supers he and Virgil had trained with, Logan exited A.S.H.’s building. And, well, speak of the devil, Logan’s phone buzzed in a familiar pattern. Though, surprisingly, it wasn’t another complaint.

Virgil had sent a sketch of a man with sunglasses and high cheekbones. The text that came with it read, **can you go 2 jay’s + ask him if this is remy**

Sighing at Virgil’s horrible grammar, Logan replied. **Yes. May I ask why?**

**long story tell u later**

Sighing again, Logan watched as his phone pulled up directions to the address Jay had given him. It would be a little too far to walk, so Logan stood on the side of the street, waving his arm until a taxi pulled over.

“Can you take me, to, ah, 125 Washington Avenue?” Logan asked, reading the address off of his phone. The driver nodded and began to drive away. Logan bit his lip, looking at the address again. It wasn’t in a sector in the city he recognized for a patrol. Jay and his family must live in the suburban outskirts of Azotha.

Logan’s eyes drifted to his stuffed bag. He did have the time to look through the file now, but something stopped him. Maybe it was that he didn’t want to have to go through the files a second time later with Virgil. Maybe it was the events of the past month taking its toll on him making him tired. Maybe it was the paranoia growing in his gut, making him unable to trust the taxi driver, who wasn’t even looking at him.

Whatever it was, Logan didn’t take out the papers. Instead, he leaned against the cold glass of the taxi window. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing against his eyelids. It couldn’t hurt to close his eyes for a few minutes, right?

“Sir?” Someone shook his shoulder. Logan jolted awake, looking at the taxi driver. “We’re at your location.”

Logan mumbled a thank you as he pulled out his wallet and paid the driver. He slipped out of the car, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He studied the house in front of him: a baby blue with gray shutters, an empty window box hanging from the front windows and a basketball propped against a chair on the porch. Logan approached the house, knocking on the door. He heard footsteps from inside, and then the door was swung open.

A small child, around eight, stared up at him with dark eyes. Logan stared back. They continued to have a staring competition until the child turned around and yelled, “Mr. Lark! I found a man!”

More footsteps echoed from inside the house, and then a man around Logan’s age appeared. His shoulders relaxed when he saw the child but tensed again at the sight of Logan. He approached the door, and the child turned around and looked at him. “Look! I found him!”

The other man let out a soft sigh. “Luca, how many times are we going to talk about opening the door for strangers?”

The child tilted his head. “But Mama said to hold open the door for people!”

“Only in some situations, kiddo.” Even though he was scolding the kid, the fond smile on his face contradicted his point. “Why don’t you go find your sister? She’s still hiding, isn’t she?”

The kid’s eyes widened. “Celeste! I’m coming to find you!”

Logan shifted on his feet as the child ran back into the house. The other man let out another sigh as he turned to face Logan. “Sorry about that. May I ask who you are?”

“I’m Logan Cosmos. I’m looking for Jay Chevalier. But it seems I have the wrong address.”

“Oh, no! You’re at the right place. Neither Jay or Emika are home right now, so I’m watching Luca and Celeste. I’m basically their family-friend turned babysitter.”

“Ah, I see. Jay isn’t home?”

“Nope!” The babysitter said, popping the p. “What did you need? I can see if I can help!”

“Well, I work for A.S.H. and my partner and I are investigating the disappearance of Remy Morpheus. Jay, as a friend of Mr. Moprheus, is helping us with our case. My partner has a lead, and I wanted to confirm it with Jay- are you alright? You seem pale.”

It was true; the color in the other man’s face had drained, and he seemed to shake slightly. As soon as Logan pointed that out, the babysitter shook his head and flashed Logan a megawatt smile. “Oh, I'm fine! It’s just a bit chilly out here, isn’t it? How about you come instead and warm up while I call up Jay and see if I can help!”

Logan didn’t think it was really that cold, but he followed the babysitter inside anyway. The inside of the house was a bit of a mess, but it was the kind of mess that made a home a home. The clutter was just as comforting as the disaster that was Thomas’s desk or Virgil’s kitchen.

The babysitter brought him to the kitchen (which was much less of a mess than Virgil’s), and offered him a chair. “Would you like something to drink? I could make tea, or hot chocolate-”

“That isn’t necessary, but I appreciate the gesture,” Logan said, sitting down at the table. The other man nodded. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, and the connection was made almost instantly.

“Hi, Jay…. Yeah, It’s me… Oh, no! The kids are fine! Luca is still trying to find Celeste in hide and go seek… Yes, they’re doing good, school was good… They aren’t why I called, though… Yeah, there’s a guy here from A.S.H…Wait a second..” The babysitter turned to Logan. “What was your name again?”

“Logan Cosmos.”

“His name’s Logan Cosmos and he said he’s here investigating Remy’s disappearance… Oh, you do know him! Good, good… Yeah, he said he needed something for the case… Ah..” Another glance to Logan. “What did you need?”

“A photograph of Remy, preferably a recent one.”

“He needs a photo of Remy, a recent one… Up on your dresser?.... Alright, I’ll go grab it!” The other man looked back at Logan. “Just sit here a sec, I’m going to go get the photograph.”

The other was gone for less than five minutes, however, Logan almost drifted off again. Maybe he should rest when he got to Virgil’s; Logan knew his best friend wouldn’t object to a nap and a documentary.

“I’m back!” the babysitter announced, holding a piece of paper in his hands, and his phone in his pocket. For a brief second, Logan could only focus on the other’s eyes: a bright, almost neon blue that nearly looked like it was glowing the kitchen lights. Logan shook his head, focusing on the entire room again and taking the picture from the other man.

The photo looked like it had been taken in a fair photo booth. Four square pictures of the same two people covered the page. The first was Jay, smiling brightly with his arm around the other person in the booth.

The other person- Logan’s mouth went dry. He pulled out his phone, opening to the sketch Virgil made. His eyes back and forth, before reaching a conclusion. Albeit, the person in the first image lacked the wounds and his sunglasses were in perfect shape- but other than that, they were identical.


	5. Slipping Through your Fingertips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of a hacker, Virgil and Logan gain acess to three of A.S.H.'s locked files.
> 
> No one likes what they find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back bb! it's been months! I'm very sorry about that. 
> 
> Also! You might notice that this chapter is shorter than the others. That because I got it to the usual length, and realized... there was so much filler. So I sat down and cut over a thousand words of it, which took a while, but hey, here were are! And I'm much happier with this chapter now.
> 
> and this fic is slowly hurtling towards becoming LAMP. and well, the romance is very background anyway so we're rolling with it
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> Alcohol, Causal Drinking, Minor Threats, Discussions of Death, Talking about Dead People

“This is it. This is the craziest idea you’ve had yet, the craziest idea you’ve dragged me into yet. We’re going to die here, no battle needed. We’re gonna die here like normal civilians, and when A.S.H. picks up our bodies, they’re going to find the thumb drive and we’re going to be labeled as traitors and then they’re going to throw our bodies into the sea to rot!”

“Are you done?” Logan asked, adjusting the jacket he was wearing as he listened to his partner ramble. “This is probably the least dangerous thing we’ve done this week. Do you recall the supervillain who could control gravity? Because I can. That was much more dangerous than this. Really, as long as you don’t get drunk and start screaming the lyrics to Welcome to the Black Parade and piss off the bartender, we will be fine.”

Virgil sighed, nursing a drink as he glanced around the room. “That happened once.”

“One too many times for my liking.”

“And how can you say we’re not in danger? That guy over there could crush both of our heads between his thighs!”

“And you’re stronger than him and both of the men next to him combined. I can teleport both of us out of here before anyone could injure us. We will be fine.” Logan rested his hands on Virgil’s forearms. “Do we need to go through breathing exercises?”

Virgil closed his eyes, then opened them with a shake. “No. You’re right.’

“I always am. Always serious, always right. Necktie, remember?”

“You aren’t wearing one now?”

Logan wagged his finger in Virgil’s face. “Perish.”

Virgil laughed, his nerves settled for the time being. Logan couldn’t blame him for being jumpy; the bruises on his face had only vanished a few days again, and sometimes his chest still ached. He smiled quickly at Virgil, before looking around the bar. There was nothing particularly interesting about the place- with cramped seating around the bar, a small wooden dance floor where a few tipsy couples were dragging each other around, and a few tables on the far side of the dancing, where Virgil and Logan were sitting. It felt like the small restaurant in Logan’s hometown, the one he’d been a waiter in highschool. It wasn’t a place Logan would have chosen to meet at- however, it really wasn’t his choice. It was the hacker's.

Logan wasn’t a fan of admitting defeat, but the more he’d dug into A.S.H.’s files, the more encrypted they’d become. The secretive files- the ones Logan needed- were locked in cyber chains he didn’t have the skills to unlock. Even with the help of his abilities, the files remained stubbornly encrypted.  
Enter the hacker. Logan had done some digging and stumbled across her site. Her reviews are positive, and she seemed to have the skills to get Logan and Virgil what they needed. Logan had connected her, and her response had been short and simple. Meet her at this bar, bring money and what he needed to be hacked, and she would do what she could. 

“Are you sure this isn’t a scam?” Virgil asked, toying with a strip of his recently redyed hair, the purple a striking burst of color in the bar. “You sure this hacker is legit, and isn’t just going to get us jumped for the money? I’m really not a fan of the idea of getting jumped again.”

“I can assure you. If I wanted money, there are much easier ways to do it. Like draining your bank account.” 

Both Logan and Virgil looked up. The speaker was tall, leaning against the wall with one hand resting against a laptop bag. Logan’s eyes were drawn to a violet bracelet with the words they/them gleaming in the metal. Their eyes gleamed just as brightly. “I’m assuming you’re my contact?”

“And you’re the hacker. You may call me Glitch. This is my partner Adrenaline.”

The hacker whistled. “Clever. You can call me Scarlett. I don’t have much time- gotta get my wife to her therapy appointment in a half hour. So let’s make this quick.”  
The hacker sat down at the chair across from Virgil. Logan glanced over at his partner, before sliding the thumb drive across the table. Scarlet, who was opening their computer, caught the drive and plugged it into their laptop. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, before the hacker looked over the top of their screen. “You can talk, you know. I won’t bite your head off or anything.”

“Sorry, Mx. I thought you’d prefer a distraction-free workspace.”

The Hacker snorted. “It would take a mighty big distraction to stop me. I doubt your talking will be one.”

Virgil shrugged as Scarlett returned to the computer. A song with a heavy bassline started from the speakers near the bar. Virgil’s eyes gleamed, the music seems to wash away any anxieties, and Logan wagged a finger at him. “Please recall the Black Parade Incident.”

“You can’t stop me.”

Logan leaned across the table, covering Virgil’s mouth with his hand. “Falsehood, yes I can- don’t you dare lick me!”

When Logan quickly pulled back his hand, Virgil stuck out his tongue. “I could throw you across the room.”

“I jump faster than you can run. Don’t you recall the race? I won by at least five seconds.”

Virgil stuck out his tongue again, before taking another sip of his drink. “You sure you don’t want something, Lo?”

“I have to get us home, and I would prefer no alcohol interference.”

“You’re boring,” Virgil mumbled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Which one of us wrote a paper in Highschool about all the ways someone could die in a car? It was you. Do you remember the percentage of deaths that occur when you drink alcohol and drive? Because I do, because you told me in our first year of training about fifteen and a half times.”

“Shut up and die.” Virgil looked over at Scarlett, who was staring at her computer scene with widening eyes. “What about you? Do you need anything? Water, snacks, alcohol-“

“-Holy shit.” The hacker’s eyes were the size of dinner plates. They looked back at their screen, then up at Logan, then down at their screen again. “This. This is information about. A.S.H. Wait, wait wait wait. Wait a second... You said something about jumping earlier. You weren’t talking about, like, leaping off the ground, were you? You meant, jumping as in teleporting. And you mentioned that your friend was only a few seconds slower than you. Super speed. You two are Supers- A.S.H.'s Supers.”

Logan cursed internally. “Yes. I might have failed to mention that.”

Scarlett looked like they were going to burst a vein in their forehead. “Holy shit. Um. Okay. This is a new one. Gimme a minute. And, um, that alcohol you mentioned sounds nice right about now.”

“What kind?”

“Nothing too strong- gotta drive my wife, remember?”

Virgil looked like he was about to pull out his paper on drunk driving and tell Scarlett how even the littlest amounts of alcohol could lead to a wreck, but instead, he remembered that he had offered the alcohol, and slid away from his stool and went towards the bar. Logan stayed at their table, watching Scarlet take in the information in front of them. They looked like they were going to have a mental breakdown. Logan hoped they didn’t; he still wasn’t equipped for that. “You know what?”

Logan looked over at them. “What?”

 

“Fuck the system, I’ll do this job. Never really liked A.S.H., always felt like it was taking advantage of supers. And I’ll do it for the Doc.”  
“And you wouldn’t speak about who gave you this information, say if you caught?”

Scarlet snorted. “That’s the basics of surviving in this world, Glitch. You don’t backstab someone unless you already have their knife hanging from your back. Which, you aren’t planning on doing, are you?”

The hacker poised it as a question, but Logan could hear the threat lingering in their voice. If they sold out Scarlett, they would do the same. A hacker would maybe get a few years in prison, but Logan and Virgil would get a much worse sentence. 

“That wouldn’t be logical, now would it?”

Virgil came over with the drink, eyes dark and the men sitting at the bar looking at him with surprise. Logan sighed. “What did you do?”  
“One of them grabbed my arm. They won’t do it again.”

“Alright. Well, Mx. Scarlett agreed to hack the files for us.”

“Oh, worm.” Virgil slid the drink over to the hacker, the dark liquid almost spilling out the glass. Scarlett caught it and squinted at Virgil, who shrugged. “You already guessed about the speed. It’s more than that, a packaged deal of bullshit.”

Scarlett looked like they were actually going to have that breakdown, but instead, took a sip of the drink and returned to the laptop. Logan looked over at Virgil, confused in his voice. “You usually aren’t that open.”

“They already figured it out, and I feel like mutual trust would benefit us here. And you know, my instincts aren’t giving me any anxiety. Other than, you know, the daily panic”

“Alright.” Logan yawned, stretching as he looked over at the clock. “You don’t think A.S.H. would assign us a mission at this time?”

“Nah, it’s too late. Plus, they know you have an early class tomorrow right? After Thomas pulled you out of class last month and felt bad about it, he’s probably double and triple-checking your schedule to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Logan nodded, spurring a conversation about Logan’s classes and Virgil photography business. After Virgil had detailed his last experience with a bridezilla who had a Pinterest board with over a hundred different poses for her wedding party and couldn’t get it through her head that Virgil didn’t have enough daylight to get all the photos, Scarlett snapped the laptop shut. Both Super’s looked over at the hacker, who was biting their lip.

“I wasn't able to get through much,” they admitted. “But I decoded three files. I’ll have to meet with you two another time to continue the work.”  
“Of course. You still have my information?” Logan asked. Scarlett nodded, removing the thumb drive before putting their laptop back into its bag. Virgil reached over and quickly slipped the thumb drive into his hoodie pocket, almost too fast for Logan to see him do it. “What Will the cost be?”

Scarlett bit their lip again. “Thirty.”

Logan blinked. “Only thirty? Please don’t joke with me.I’ve seen the reviews on your page- you charge much more than that.”

The hacker shrugged. “Well, I only worked for, like, a half an hour. Plus, you both respected my pronouns and this is a challenge and my own personal fuck you all wrapped into one. So yes. Thirty bucks. Or, you wanna pay more…”

“Thirty dollars is good.” Virgil quickly agreed, nudging Logan with his elbow. He winced, glaring at his partner before he slipped out the money from his back pocket and gave it to the hacker. 

They stood from the table, flashing the Supers a grin. “Nice working with you, Glitch and Adrenaline.”

Logan offered them a hand to shake. “Same to you, Scarlett.”

They shook his hand with an amused grin before their phone began to ring. Scarlett stepped away from Logan, before rolling their eyes. “That’s my wife- probably worried that we’ll be late, even though we never are. Have a good night, boys.”

Logan watched them leave the bar, throwing open the door with a little wave behind their shoulder. He looked at Virgil, who was glancing at his phone. “Can we go?”

“Of course.” Logan offered up his hand, and Virgil took it, allowing himself to be led into the bathroom. A patron stumbled out of the room, face pale and breath smelling vile. Virgil made a face, before pushing the door open to reveal an empty bathroom. Logan tightened his grip on Virgil’s hand, before closing his eyes. His apartment flashed through his head, and the familiar feeling of teleporting filled his body. 

\- .... . -.-- .- .-. . .-.. -.-- .. -. --. - --- -.-- --- ..- - .... . -.-- .- .-. . .-.. -.-- .. --. - --- -.-- --- ..- - .... . -.-- .- .-. . .-.. .. ...- .. -. --. - --- -.-- --- ..-

A few seconds later, he felt his feet sink into his carpet. Logan opened his eyes, and let go of Virgil’s hand before taking in a deep breath of the clear air of his apartment. Virgil stumbled for a second, before throwing himself into Logan’s couch, barley avoiding stepping in the slightly stained areas on the carpet. 

“I’ll never get used to that,” Virgil commented, swinging his feet into the couch. Logan disappeared into his bedroom, grabbed his laptop, then returned to the living room. He pushed Virgil’s legs off the couch, ignoring the other’s unhappy noise as he settled in next to him.

“What do you think we’ll find here?” Logan asked as he turned on his computer. Virgil shrugged, pulling out the thumb drive from his hoodie and putting it into its place.  
“Don’t know. It’s gotta be important for it to be buried this deep through, right?”

“Exactly.” Logan’s laptop finally blinked to life, and soon enough, the decoded contents of the drive were on screen. “Which one?”

“Let’s just go in order?” Logan nodded, clicking the first file: PROFILE_AGENT_97. Virgil blinked, staring at the contents. “It’s just an agent profile? But what’s with all the black?”

“Redacted information.”

“Yeah, but why?”

“Well, Virge, I believe that’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

“Shut up.” Logan rolled his eyes, before looking back at the profile. Both the agent’s picture and real name were redacted, but their codename was in big block letters on the top of the page: EMPATH. Following was their gender (Male) and Age (25).

“He's a dead agent,” Virgil muttered, pointing to a paragraph towards the bottom of the profile, before reading it aloud. “Date of Death: July 18th, seven years ago. Cause of Death: Unknown, believed to be drowning in a battle with SuperVillain Tsunami-”

“-I remember them. They were captured a year before we entered A.S.H., correct?”

“Yeah. Continuing- Empath’s body was never found, believed to be somewhere in the ocean. Yikes.”

Logan nodded, reading through the rest of the information on Empath’s profile. He had worked at A.S.H. for three years before his demise and was well-liked within its ranks. He was training to get into a management program within A.S.H. His partner, an oracle who’s real name was just as reacted, had a positive relationship with Empath. She retired after Empath’s death and is believed to have moved to with her relatives in New Zealand after a year of therapy in the program. Empath was studying at a college in a nearby city, with dreams of working in the field of psychology. He left behind a father and a younger sister, who lived out west, and two partners- all of the names were redacted. 

“Why?” Virgil asked, looking away from the screen. “Why are these hidden and redacted?”

“If I could tell you, we wouldn’t be here,” Logan answered, ignoring the lump in his own throat as he clicked on the next file: PROFILE_AGENT_178. Just like the first file, the real identity and headshot of the agent were blocked. But next to the agent’s name (Energy) was a sketch of their symbol: a heart, with a blast behind it. The agent was an eighteen-year-old male, a first-year agent of A.S.H. and had the ability of ergokinesis.

“Another dead one,” Virgil mumbled, and Logan quickly saw that he was right. Energy had died during that first year of being a SuperHero- died in a fire set by a civilian, and had died alongside his partner Dream five years ago. A shapeshifter was caught using his image once, after his death, and after was never seen again. Energy was a pre-med student and had plans to be a pediatrician. He and his partner were slated to become one of the best SuperHero teams on the record, with both having incredible power and having an amazing record. Both were rewarded with rookie-of-the-year awards, postmortem. Energy’s only family was his grandfather, who lived in rural Ohio and had raised him. He was also buried in the same graveyard as Empath. Any identifying names were covered by black.“I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I. Should I open the third file?”

Virgil shrugged, a bit of helplessness in his eyes. “What’s the chance that it’s another dead agent?”

“I believe there is only one way to find out.” The last file, PROFILE_AGENT_179, opened, and Logan’s stomach sank as soon as he read the agent’s name. “Another death. This is Energy’s partner.”

The name Dream was written across the top of the file, and below it was a drawing of two crossed swords, but the second sword was almost translucent. Dream was also a male and had died at the same age as Energy, and by the same fire. His ability was reality manipulation. There was another note about the shapeshifter, who seemed to have appeared as Dream too, before disappearing. Along with another notice about Dream’s postmortem rookie award, the one he shared with Energy. Dream had plans of being an art teacher and left behind a father, a step-father and an older step-sister who all lived within the city of Azotha, even after Dream’s death. His grave was right next to Energy’s- partners even in death. All the names, from Dream’s own to his sister’s, were redacted from the file. 

“Three dead agents. Three redacted files.” Logan muttered, biting his lip as he closed the file. 

“But why? A.S.H. has had other agents die. It’s not like they needed to cover up that people died, the public knows that every once and a while, a Super dies in the line of duty, or whatever fancy phrase A.S.H. used to justify it. Also, what’s with all the hidden names and blocked out photos?”

“I don't know…” Logan muttered, hating the words for coming out of his mouth. “I- the only idea I can come up with is that it’s some sort of coverup. All three of these agents have rare and strong abilities, and it would look bad on A.S.H. for letting them die. So maybe A.S.H. let them fade out of the public's mind, before deleting them from the archives… and their names and their families are redacted to keep their deaths in the past- Virgil? Is something wrong?”

The other Super looked lost in thought, face pale and eyes unfocused. He quickly shook himself back into reality, looking back over at Logan. “Hmm?”

“You looked lost. Is everything alright?”

Virgil looked away, focusing on the darker stains on Logan’s carpet instead of his partner’s eyes. “It’s nothing. Just something I remembered. It’s a stupid thought.”

“I doubt it. Do you mind sharing, Virge? It could be helpful.”

Virgil didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned over and laid his head on Logan’s shoulder. “We have patrols tomorrow night. We should rest.”

“Virgil Tempest is telling me to go to sleep? What has the world come to?”

“Oh be quiet- maybe we can come up with better ideas when we’re rested.”

Logan couldn’t help but hear the little voice in the back of his mind, whispering that Virgil was hiding something, but his exhaustion won out in the end. He pushed off his laptop, grabbed a blanket, and draped it over himself and Virgil. He was asleep within minutes. 

Tomorrow would bring something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yes, logan tomorrow will bring something new. 
> 
> (not. tomorrow in reality. tomorrow in the fic. which could. take awhile to be written...)
> 
> anyway! I'm thinking about posting digital versions to the three files mentioned in this chapter on my Tumblr: (star.and.rose). chek it out for those for other bonus content such as my own notes and shitposting.


End file.
